“Early” and “delayed” intubation of COVID-19 patients: Different definitions, different populations

•In COVID-19, the definition of “early” vs. “delayed” intubation is controversial.•A literal definition based on a duration criterion is mainly used.•In this study, this temporal definition is compared to a clinical one.•50% of patients are mismatched using the temporal vs. the clinical definition.•This could lead to difficulties in interpreting the results of studies on this matter.