At Elmhurst, according to a protocol that was communicated to staff on Saturday and again on Sunday and was shared with The Washington Post, doctors would be able to unilaterally designate coronavirus patients as DNR and/or DNI - do not intubate - which means they will not be eligible for a ventilator, even if it goes against the wishes of the patient or family. Getting the agreement of a second doctor is "optimal," the guidance states, but is not required. The language of the ethical framework states that if the order is in effect, doctors have no "no obligation to offer or initiate" the treatment, allowing them to make decisions on a case-by-case basis.