Patients who inhaled heparin were half as likely to require ventilation and had a significantly lower risk of dying compared with those receiving standard care. Heparin, a drug traditionally injected to treat blood clots, was tested in this study in an inhaled form, targeting the lungs directly. Earlier research results showed breathing and oxygen levels improved in COVID-19 patients after they inhaled a course of heparin. We know it’s only a matter of time until the next pandemic, and there are still COVID-19 patients who get very sick. The research is published in eClinicalMedicine and simultaneously presented of at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Amsterdam on Sunday, September 28, the leading annual gathering for respiratory research.