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Is there a difference? and will a CPAP be better than nothing if one comes down with the virus?
No, it's actually worse.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists issued guidance on Feb. 23 discouraging CPAP use in COVID-19 patients — advice largely informed by experience with the SARS epidemic in 2003. Studies dating to 2003 suggest that such devices can pump viruses into the air, potentially increasing the spread of a contagious disease.
The flu, pneumonia, COVID, CHF and other issues can cause the lungs to fill with fluid. This can be progressive with mild cases where there is slight congestion to severe cases where the lungs fill up fluid and end up non functional. You basically suffocate from drowning in severe cases.
In mild cases, CPAP is an air tight mask that provides room air or oxygen enriched air at slightly higher pressures. It basically helps a person breathing on their own. For mild respiratory issues, this helps to open smaller air passages and if lungs are a little wet, the increase in pressure helps drive the moisture back into tissue, drying out the lungs.
In moderate cases, a ventilator can be helpful. Generally, to ventilate someone, you start an IV and sedate the person. Then a tube is passed through the vocal cords into the upper airway. This tube is secured and attached to the ventilator. The ventilator can be adjusted for the percentage of oxygen, how much the lungs are allowed to inhale, how much they are allowed to exhale and how often. The ventilator can control breathing completely. The person typically remains sedated so they don't fight the ventilator or start pulling tubes out. Ventilation can continue for weeks until the lungs improve.
In severe cases, with no improvement, fluid secretions fill up the lungs and they become unable to exchange oxygen and the patient suffocates.
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