- patients who cannot provide informed consent - history of surgery involving cn v, vii, ix, or x. - patient on chronic renal dialysis - patients with history of solid organ transplant - patients with underlying seizures disorder - patients with a cardiac pacemaker - patients with any implanted electrical device - patients with dermatologic conditions affecting the ear, face, or neck region (i.e. psoriasis), or with cuts or abrasions to the external ear that would interfere with needle placement - patients with hemophilia or other bleeding disorders - patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding - patients with active tb infection - patient already on mechanical ventilation or ecls - suspected active bacterial, fungal, viral, or other infection (besides covid-19) - in the opinion of the investigator, progression to mechanical ventilation, ecls or death is imminent and inevitable within the next 24 hours, irrespective of the provision of treatments - participating in other drug clinical trials - alt or ast > 5 x uln detected within 24 hours at screening or at baseline (according to local laboratory reference ranges) - anc < 500/µl at screening and baseline (according to local laboratory reference ranges) - platelet count < 50,000/µl at screening and baseline (according to local laboratory reference ranges) - any serious medical condition or abnormality of clinical laboratory tests that, in the investigator's judgment, precludes the patient's safe participation in and completion of the study

- patients who cannot provide informed consent - history of surgery involving cn v, vii, ix, or x. - patient on chronic renal dialysis - patients with history of solid organ transplant - patients with underlying seizures disorder - patients with a cardiac pacemaker - patients with any implanted electrical device - patients with dermatologic conditions affecting the ear, face, or neck region (i.e. psoriasis), or with cuts or abrasions to the external ear that would interfere with needle placement - patients with hemophilia or other bleeding disorders - patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding - patients with active tb infection - patient already on mechanical ventilation or ecls - suspected active bacterial, fungal, viral, or other infection (besides covid-19) - in the opinion of the investigator, progression to mechanical ventilation, ecls or death is imminent and inevitable within the next 24 hours, irrespective of the provision of treatments - participating in other drug clinical trials - alt or ast > 5 x uln detected within 24 hours at screening or at baseline (according to local laboratory reference ranges) - anc < 500/µl at screening and baseline (according to local laboratory reference ranges) - platelet count < 50,000/µl at screening and baseline (according to local laboratory reference ranges) - any serious medical condition or abnormality of clinical laboratory tests that, in the investigator's judgment, precludes the patient's safe participation in and completion of the study