Study links some sleep disorders with more severe COVID

A new study finds people with certain sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, had more severe outcomes with COVID.

The study from Cleveland Clinic finds there was a 31% higher rate of hospitalization and mortality.

"This was a study that we undertook to better understand the relationship of sleep-disordered breathing and lowering of oxygen during sleep as it relates to COVID-19," said Dr. Reena Mehra, MD with Cleveland Clinic.

Researchers say people with sleep apnea, or those who experience lowered oxygen while sleeping, were not at a higher risk for contracting the virus.

They also learned that it didn’t make a difference if people were using a C-PAP machine prior to getting sick.

They still experienced the same kind of severe outcomes.