The first Australian experience with ward-based continuous positive airway pressure for COVID-19 respiratory failure: a retrospective cohort study.

We present the first Australian cohort of patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure managed with escalating respiratory support including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on a standard medical ward at a tertiary Sydney hospital during the 2021 COVID-19 Delta variant outbreak. We demonstrate an equivalent mortality to CPAP delivered in intensive care unit and outline our ward structure and management during the pandemic.