In 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spread worldwide. Despite the early speculation of the virus not inducing critical illness, many young healthy patients became severely affected. An extracorporeal membrane oxygenation （ECMO） machine oxygenates blood directly. Thus, it is believed to compensate for the most severe form of respiratory failure in patients. However, the history of ECMO shows that the benefit of ECMO can not be exploited if the machine is used inappropriately. In this review, we will discuss the basics and history of ECMO and its role in coronavirus disease.