Switzerland. Canton Ticino. Lugano. Due to the spread of the coronavirus (also called Covid-19) and given the increase in cases in Ticino, the Clinica Luganese Moncucco was transformed into a Covid-19 Hospital. Nurses working at intensive care unit (ICU). The patients are all in severe conditions and cannot breathe on their own. They all require intubation and the use of a ventilator. Intubation is the process of inserting a breathing tube through the mouth and into the airway. A ventilator—also known as a respirator or breathing machine—is a medical device that provides oxygen through the breathing tube. For patients critically ill with Covid-19, access to a ventilator is a matter of life or death. The machines get oxygen into the lungs and remove carbon dioxide from the body. The ventilators need to not only keep people breathing but also accurately monitor their lungs, using a mix of airflow, temperature, humidity and pressure sensors. ICU ventilators use touchscreens to provide a range of tools to assess the appropriate respiratory therapy. All nurses are dressed in protective clothing that seal them off the contaminated environment. They all wear FFP2 masks, latex medical gloves, protective glasses and yellow plastic aprons above their medical green clothes. The single-use mask protects against solid and liquid particles. The Safemask Premimum offers respiratory protection to medical staff. Medical gloves are disposable gloves used during medical examinations and procedures to help prevent cross-contamination between caregivers and patients. In the fight against the coronavirus, nurses play a critical role, but some on the front lines in the hardest-hit areas fear for their health. 25.03.2020 © 2020 Didier Ruef