I think what most people here don’t realize about ventilators is that in most cases they are a last resort. I’ve been involved (health POA) in decisions regarding such for my Dad (3x - damn, he was tough) and involved in the situation overall and advising my Mom with regard to my brother when he had flu-complication pneumonia. You weigh the risks and none of the options are really good. Which is “least bad”.
There are people so sick from COVID they go from the ventilator to the lung transplant. Imagine the need for one. I know others who needed hospitalization but recovered without a ventilator. At least they didn’t think just a pop from the chiropractor would do the trick. Many still will get that back pop, thinking it would restore their sense of taste or smell—a waste of money.
I just learned that my cousin was driving on the freeway near Spokane and blacked out. He woke up in the hospital and learned his COVID infection caused him a loss of oxygen which caused him to black out. It cost my cousin $20,000 in pickup truck repairs and a $140,000 stay in the hospital. At least he got natural immunity, but at a hell of a cost. He needs another operation to fix the results of the crash. I almost told him he could have saved himself a lot of money with a free vaccine—but I didn’t want to embarrass him.