(WENY) – With health officials around the world pushing for ventilators, some are actually moving away from using them. This decision comes as some hospitals have reported unusually high death rates for coronavirus patients on ventilators, and some doctors worry that the machines could be harming certain patients.

Experts say on average, 40% to 50 % of patients with severe respiratory distress die while on ventilators. At least 80% of coronavirus patients in New York City have died while on ventilators. That's according to state and city officials.

Experts say ventilators can be damaging to a patient over time, as high-pressure oxygen is forced into the tiny air sacs in a patient's lungs.