TORONTO -- A new study has found that people with a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) had increased odds of having COVID-19 and were twice as likely to be hospitalized with the disease or treated for it in an intensive care unit (ICU).
The findings, published in Sleep and Breathing, a Nature journal, conducted questionnaires from May to August 2020 with more than 26,000 people across 14 countries and regions like Austria, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Japan and the U.S.
Researchers used the STOP screening questionnaire – a recognized diagnostic tool for sleep apnea – and asked questions about COVID-19, hospitalization and ICU treatment.