
Are sleep apnea sufferers at greater risk from COVID-19?
Within only a few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has swept almost all areas of the globe, putting stress on healthcare systems and instilling new anxieties in people with underlying health conditions. If you suffer from sleep apnea, you may be wondering whether this new respiratory infection poses a significant risk to you in the short or long term.
While there is still much to be learned about this particular coronavirus infection, scientists have established that there are two important factors related to sleep apnea that could put you at greater risk of suffering severe effects from the disease: age and chronic health conditions such as heart disease, COPD, and diabetes. If you are an older person and suffer from an underlying health condition, therefore, it is worth taking extra special precautions to avoid infection such as safe social distancing and washing your hands on a daily basis.
While most people are already aware of these risk factors, sleep apnea sufferers who use a CPAP mask may also be at a higher risk of COVID-19 complications thanks to the lesser-known fact that pressurised air can facilitate contagion pathways if proper health and safety measures are not followed. Indeed, the aspirated fluid that travels down the throat when using a CPAP machine can easily transport pathogens such as COVID-19 to the lungs and cause pneumonia. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple ways to prevent infection when using a CPAP device. These include: