Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new contagious disease, a public health emergency and a pandemic. It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, a novel coronavirus that has spread rapidly across the world since the first reports in December 2019 [1] from Wuhan, China. Current evidence suggests a zoonotic source, transmitted to humans that spreads via droplets. It has a spectrum of clinical presentations, from mild coryzal-like symptoms to respiratory failure. It is associated with high mortality in those who develop respiratory complications and require admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), with preliminary data from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre of the UK indicating up to 50% mortality [2]. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a treatment option to support selected severely ill patients who deteriorate despite mechanical ventilation and best supportive care. Its use has been more established in patients with severe respiratory failure since the H1N1 pandemic [3–6]. Table 1 shows the UK guidelines for ECMO indications for patients in severe respiratory failure.