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COVID-19
Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Respiratory therapists play critical role in treating COVID-19 patients
![](https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/n7-mcnn/7bcc9724adf7b803/uploads/2020/04/monitoring-a-patient-heart-intensive-care-unit-shutterstock_500901592-1024x683.jpg)
COVID-19 was first identified late last year with a cluster of pneumonia cases caused by a new coronavirus. The COVID-19 disease process heavily affects the respiratory system, and patients often need oxygen support. The respiratory therapist plays a critical role in managing oxygen levels, placing breathing tubes, and managing the mechanical ventilator, when necessary.
On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Daniel Diedrich, a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist and critical care physician, discusses the role of the respiratory therapist from the time a patient presents with COVID-19 all the way through that patient's discharge.
Click the player below:
Mayo Clinic Q&A is available on podcast platforms including Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and iHeart.
![](https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/n7-mcnn/7bcc9724adf7b803/uploads/2019/10/MC-QA_1400x1400-300x300.jpg)
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For the latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. For more information and COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.