Elon Musk’s Ventilators Can’t Be Used on Coronavirus Patients

Tesla’s Elon Musk made a bold move wanting to donate ventilators to the coronavirus patients suffering in hospitals, but unfortunately, they cannot be used.

According to health officials, the ventilators donated by the electric vehicle maker’s CEO do more harm than good.

It was only weeks ago that Musk had reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic in an insensitive way by calling the panic “dumb,” but he realized the error of his ways and announced last week that he had 1,000 “FDA-approved ventilators.”

He donated 40 to New York City’s hospital system but unfortunately they are not powerful enough to use in the ICU. Health officials have actually warned against using them on COVID-19 patients because they could spread the virus further.

Musk purchased BiPAP machines made by ResMed. ResMed CEO Mick Farrell later confirmed Musk’s purchase of 1,000 5-year-old “bi-level, non-invasive ventilators” known as BiPAPs to CNBC, and said it was “fantastic” that Tesla could transport ResMed’s product like it did.

Many doctors don’t even call them “ventilators,” said Los Angeles Times’ Russ Mitchell.

According to an NPR report, CPAP machines may have only helped spread COVID-19 through the nursing home outside Seattle that was the center of the U.S.’s initial coronavirus outbreak.

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.