Rapid response teams (RRT) are intended to improve the identification and management of clinically worsening hospitalized patients. This study identified an increase in RRT activations for respiratory distress at one academic hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors outline the hospital response, which included revising RRT guidelines to reduce in-room personnel, new decision-support pathways, which accounted for COVID-19 uncertainty, and expanded critical care consults for inpatient care team.