Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40560295›Full record

ArticleSleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung2025

Obstructive sleep apnea is a risk factor for incident COVID-19 infection.

Stuart F Quan, Matthew D Weaver, Mark É Czeisler, Laura K Barger, Lauren A Booker, Mark E Howard, Melinda L Jackson, Christine F McDonald, Anna Ridgers, Rebecca Robbins and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Risk of influenza and COVID-19 illness and pediatric obstructive sleep apnea: a TriNetX cohort with 5-year follow-up.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Stuart F QuanDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. Stuart_Quan@hms.harvard.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-9474-7679
Matthew D WeaverDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3578-336X
Mark É CzeislerDepartment of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3100-7347
Laura K BargerDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8547-7331
Lauren A BookerInstitute for Breathing and Sleep, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0533-3715
Mark E HowardInstitute for Breathing and Sleep, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7772-1496
Melinda L JacksonSchool of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4976-8101
Christine F McDonaldInstitute for Breathing and Sleep, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6481-3391
Anna RidgersInstitute for Breathing and Sleep, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-1360-9387
Rebecca RobbinsDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0288-2505
Prerna VarmaSchool of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5408-1625
Shantha M W RajaratnamDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7527-8558
Charles A CzeislerDivision of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7408-1849

Funding

Improving the Health of EMS professionals through Sleep Health Education and Sleep Disorder ScreeningR56HL151637 · NHLBI · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI WEAVER, MATTHEW DAVID · 2020 to 2020
$793k
An mHealth intervention to deliver personalized messages to increase adherence to OSA evaluation and treatment among transportation workersK01HL150339 · NHLBI · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · PI ROBBINS, REBECCA · 2020 to 2024
$708k
CDC HHS Centers for Disease Control and PreventionKinghorn Foundation Kinghorn FoundationNHLBI NIH HHS K01 HL150339NHLBI NIH HHS R56 HL151637NHLBI NIH HHS R56HL151637-01NIOSH CDC HHS R01OH011773
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeCross-sectional studies suggest that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a potential risk factor for incident COVID-19 infection, but longitudinal studies are lacking.

methodsTwo surveys from a large general population cohort, the COVID-19 Outbreak Public Evaluation (COPE) Initiative, undertaken 147 ± 58 days apart were analyzed to determine whether the pre-existing OSA was a risk factor for the incidence of COVID-19.

resultsOf the 24,803 respondents completing the initial survey, 14,950 were negative for COVID-19; data from the follow-up survey were available for 2,325 respondents. Those with incident COVID-19 infection had a slightly higher prevalence of OSA (COVID-19+: 14.3 vs. COVID-19-: 11.5%, p = 0.068). Stratification by treatment status revealed that those untreated for their OSA were at greater risk for developing COVID-19 infection (OSA Untreated: 14.2 vs. OSA Treated: 7.4%, p ≤ 0.05). In a logistic regression model adjusted for comorbidities, demographic, socioeconomic factors, days between surveys and the interaction between vaccination status and OSA, incident COVID-19 infection was 1.94 times more likely in those with OSA (aOR: 1.94, 95% CI: 1.07–3.51, p ≤ 0.05). Stratification by treatment status revealed only untreated OSA participants were at greater risk for COVID-19 (aOR: 3.21, 95% CI: 1.25–8.23, p ≤ 0.05).

conclusionThe evidence from this study confirms untreated OSA as a risk factor for acquiring COVID-19 infection and highlights the importance of actively treating and managing OSA as a preventative mechanism against COVID-19 disease.

Indexed as

Sleep Apnea, ObstructiveAdultAgedCohort StudiesComorbidityCOVID-19Cross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsRisk FactorsSARS-CoV-2COVID-19EpidemiologyObstructive sleep apneaSARS-CoV-2 infection

Identifiers

PMID40560295

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.