Evaluating the Severity of COVID-19 Infection in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Jordan

COVID-19 has infected many patients globally, primarily impacting the respiratory system and causing symptoms such as coughing and shortness of breath. Various factors influence the severity of the infection, with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) being one of them.

The aim was to investigate the correlation between the severity of OSA and the severity of COVID-19 infection, as indicated by hospitalization, ICU admission, and the duration of recovery from the disease.

A retrospective cohort study on OSA patients who follow-up at a tertiary referral hospital sleep clinic and were infected with COVID-19. COVID-19 infection information, such as severity, duration, and vaccination, was collected via phone calls. OSA severity was assessed using the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Data were analyzed using SPSS software, and a p value < 0.05 was considered significant.

A total of 136 confirmed OSA and COVID-19-positive patients were included in the study. The majority were elderly and obese. Then, 29% of patients had mild, 30% had moderate, and 41% had severe OSA. The severity of OSA was significantly correlated with the COVID-19 type of treatment and recovery duration (p value = 0.002 and 0.001, respectively. Severe OSA correlated with higher BMI values. Notably, the type of COVID-19 vaccine, number of doses, and whether the COVID-19 infection occurred before or after vaccination did not affect the severity of OSA.

The severity of OSA and COVID-19 infection were correlated. The management of OSA severity and the control over other comorbidities may lower the chance of severe COVID-19 infection among OSA patients.