You are on the right track here. it is spread via aerosol particles, but its effect is on the blood. It attacks the hemoglobin and red blood cells so that they can not carry oxygen. This can also be linked to micro clotting in the alveolar-capillary membrane due to the malformed heme. As far as the ventilators. The ventilators are not the problem, it is how they are being used are. In a normal ARDS protocol, a lung protective strategy is used. Low tidal volumes and lower pressures used. But now they are using pressures at levels i have never seen before, these pressures combined with the lungs decreased elasticity adds to the capillary leakage into the lungs by causing micro tears in the lungs leading to more leakage of fluid. So the lungs look white on x-ray. Add these things up and its an almost foregone conclusion what is going to occur.