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What CPAP Users Need to Know About COVID-19
COVID-19 has led to massive disruptions around the globe. From business shutdowns and stock market drops to event cancellations and travel restrictions, the changes triggered by this virus are undeniable and are affecting practically every citizen in the country.
Treatment Options for Mild Sleep Apnea
All of this is being done for good reasons the high mortality rates of the virus show that it is much more than “just another type of flu.” As of this writing, worldwide, over 17 million have contracted the disease, and over 667,000 have died. Those in high-risk groups are being requested to stay indoors and avoid group gatherings.
For CPAP users, perhaps one of the most alarming aspects related to COVID-19 is the reports that older individuals and those with pre-existing health conditions have a much higher mortality rate than the overall population. This leads many to wonder if their sleep apnea diagnosis puts them at higher risk from the coronavirus. However, there is an ongoing campaign to boost CPAP treatment during COVID 19 to prevent more advanced sleep apnea vs. coronavirus deaths.
Although there are still many unknowns surrounding the coronavirus and its effect on sleep apnea patients, there are also some basic guidelines that CPAP users should be aware of. CPAP alternative treatment should be an option.
Who is at the Greatest Risk from COVID-19?
This far, there has not been a confirmed direct relationship between sleep apnea patients and COVID-19 mortality rates. Nonetheless, sleep apnea often contributes to or stems from numerous other underlying health conditions that are impacted by the coronavirus. Sleep apnea is also more likely to occur in individuals over the age of 40, and the older you are, the higher your risk for a severe infection.
According to data from Worldometers, certain pre-existing conditions highly increase the risk of death for individuals who contract COVID-19. In confirmed coronavirus cases, those with cardiovascular disease have about 13 percent death rate. On the other hand, diabetes patients suffered an about 9 percent mortality rate, while those with hypertension suffered about 8 percent death rate. All of this castle outweighs the 0.9 percent death rate of individuals without such pre-existing conditions.
Perhaps most alarming for some CPAP users is the data that shows an eight percent death rate in confirmed COVID-19 cases for individuals with chronic respiratory diseases. This has been mainly understood to refer to individuals with COPD, rather than sleep apnea. However, many COPD patients use CPAP devices for CPAP treatment for sleep apnea.
Even though a sleep apnea patient without other underlying health concerns may not essentially have more to worry about than the average person, it is clear that many CPAP users fall into one or more high-risk categories.
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