Intensive care team shares moment of joy after COVID-19 patient taken off ventilator

A Toronto doctor posted amoment of pure joy on Twitter: an intensive care team celebrating a patient no longer needing a tube to help them breathe.

"ICU team @SinaiHealth celebrating an extubation," Dr. Chris Yarnell tweeted. "COVID is tough but we are always happy to have a bit of success for our patients."

An extubation is when a patient's breathing tube can be removed, in this case because the patient can now breathe on his or her own.

Watch the video of the intensive care staff celebrating here:

Dr. Yarnell credited his colleagues at Sinai Health Foundation for the "dedicated care that led to this moment," saying intensive care is a team effort involving nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, social workers, researchers, environmental services workers, porters, unit clerks, managers, pharmacists, "and many others."

"Extubation is exciting because it represents liberation from the life support a patient previously needed, even though it is only one step in a long journey back to health," Dr. Yarnell told CBC Toronto.

"We're happy to share this success with the community because we hope it inspires ongoing commitment to physical distancing and other key elements of prevention."