1 INTRODUCTION
COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019 and has since spread worldwide.1 Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has higher infectivity and transmission rates than severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).2 The majority of those infected exhibit mild flu-like symptoms, but 20-30% of symptomatic patients require intensive care for respiratory distress due to pneumonia or ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome).3 Some of these patients require mechanical ventilation, and procedures such as tracheostomy present the risk of occupational exposure due to aerosol dissemination.4 Several reports have described means of minimizing aerosol transmission during and immediately after tracheostomy.5,6 Here, we report a safe and rapid hybrid modified percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (hybrid MPDT) technique that reduces the risk of COVID-19 aerosol transmission.