Assessment of PAP Device Usage and COVID-19 Related Anxiety in Patients with OSAS During COVID-19 Pandemics

Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine the positive airway pressure (PAP) device usage and pandemic-related anxiety in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients during the pandemic.

Material and methods: Five hundred twenty-seven OSAS patients were recruited into the study. A questionnaire consisting of 7 questions was filled to find out their Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19)-related anxiety levels and PAP device usage.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 53.3 years (±11.9). One hundred forty-one 141 (27%) of the participants were female and 382 (73%) were male. Two hundred sixteen (41%) patients reported using the PAP device regularly [PAP (+) group); 307 (59%) patients reported not using it at all or using it irregularly (PAP (-) group]. Forty-nine (23%) PAP (+) patients and 91 (29%) PAP (-) patients had COVID-19. The use of a PAP device was not significantly associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection (P = 0.077). The most common symptom was myalgia without a between-group difference, (P = 0.967). There was no significant difference between the PAP (+) and PAP (-) groups in the hospitalization rates for COVID-19 (P = 0.252). The presence of apnea was not considered as a cause of a higher level of COVID-19-related anxiety in patients with the PAP (+) group compared to the PAP (-) group (P = 0.095).

Conclusion: There was no evidence that the use of PAP devices in OSAS patients influenced the risk of getting COVID-19 and the clinical course of the disease. PAP device usage did not affect the level of anxiety associated with the pandemic in patients.