Obstructive Sleep Apnea Increases Severe COVID-19 Risk: Study

People suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), an issue that causes reduced oxygen intake during sleep, are at a heightened risk of severe COVID-19, stated research published in the American Medical Association’s JAMA Network.
Researchers studied over 5,400 individuals with breathing issues. During observation, they discovered that one-third tested positive for COVID-19, though severe breathing symptoms had little to no effect on infection risk. On the other hand, OSA individuals showcased an ominously higher risk of hospitalization from COVID-19, some even resulting in death.
“We identified sleep-related hypoxemia as a risk factor for increased COVID-19 severity in both hospitalization and mortality,” the writers highlighted. Sleep-related hypoxia was also associated with heightened complications in COVID-19 patients in another study.
“Our findings propose that baseline sleep-related hypoxia is linked to hypoxic insult progression and hypoxia-related injury in COVID-19, hence amplifying symptom severity. Baseline sleep-related hypoxia is not related to increased chances of contracting SARS-CoV-2. But it might play a part in worsening the outcome as the virus evolves.” the researchers detailed.
“Whether reversal of sleep-related hypoxia with additional treatments improves COVID-19-specific clinical outcomes is still unknown,” they concluded.