Reduced adherence to positive airway pressure (PAP) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea has been linked with increased rates of COVID-19 infection, reported Dennis Hwang, MD, of Kaiser Permanente in Fontana, California, at the virtual American Thoracic Society annual meeting.

Hwang reported that in about 82,000 patients in southern California, COVID-19 infection was noted in a significantly higher percentage of patients (2.1%) with obstructive sleep apnea and lower adherence to PAP (<2 hours per night) compared to 1.3% of obstructive sleep apnea patients having the best adherence to PAP (>4 hours per night). With improvement in adherence to PAP, there was a reduction in the rate of infection… (Medpage Today)