Colloidal silver is nothing but pseudo science horse crap pushed by people with irrational beliefs.
Lots of things that never worked were used in the old days before modern solutions. Heck, they even used to drain your blood to get the evil spirits out.
Desperate people tend to believe anything that gives them hope or provides an escape from reality and facts to induce the illusion of comfort. We have entire billion (trillion?) dollar industries based on this scam.
No hospital in the USA would ever use colloidal silver for any medical condition.
I'm sorry but I'm going to disagree with you there. The NHS funded Silver Colloidal dressings before the EU banned it.
When they were banned by the EU, I understood it was said there was no benefit (other than to the drug companies as they were getting charged huge amounts - I believe a nurse told us @£40 per dressing).
However, my own mother had these used on wounds and prior to the ban I was able to purchase silver coated plasters (Elastoplast type - unsure if that was the brand or other), over the counter for less than £5 per 20. In my opinion that really brings the alleged NHS costs into question.
I can tell you categorically, they made a huge difference to healing both to her ulcers and to my wounds. When used on minor cuts which would typically take 5 days or so to heal, I found the cuts almost completely healed within 24 hrs and totally healed within 48 with barely a mark. There was never any infection. Her ulcers showed dramatic improvement in healing although not as fast - even the nurses acknowledged it. Conspiracy theorists say it was the drug companies that got silver banned because it had the potential to affect the sales of expensive and lucrative antibiotics. Officially it's safety. I can't comment on the former and on it's safety beyond saying it was used in the old days and my understanding is that those who have argentia, usually get it through extensive use eg: drinking a litre or more daily as a preventative. I believe there are reports of Royals in the old days being known as blue bloods because they sometimes got it on their lips through using silver cutlery at every meal. All I can say, is my own experience suggests it works. How safe it is may be another matter, but I don't personally believe there's any huge risk from eg an occasional dressing. As for coronovirus, yes taking it in large amounts might be more risky, but if everything else has failed, what have you to lose? Hospitals might as well gamble when antibiotics fail infected patients. Dead or blue or the risk of other side effects, the hospitals choice (with consent) and even the latter isn't a cert.
Just for completeness, argentia, although this guy drinks HUGE amounts daily - interesting story and his wife isn't blue despite saying she also drinks it: