At the same time, the progressively increasing numbers of patients with pneumonia who need ICU treatment have severely strained the ICU system in the Lombardy region and it has become clear that the current level of activity may not be sustainable for long, even with an increase in ICU resources. This has led SIAARTI, the scientific society of anaesthesia and intensive care of Italy, to issue guidelines on patient selection criteria for admission to the ICU, in case of an expected shortage of resources, such as ventilators or ICU beds [4], based on the Consensus Statement for the care of the critically ill during pandemics and disasters.