Sleep medicine and COVID-19. Has a new era begun?

ABSTRACT

Since late December 2019, COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has spread rapidly around the world, causing unprecedented changes in provided health care services. Patients diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are subject to a higher risk of worse outcomes from COVID-19, due to the high prevalence of coexistent comorbidities. Additionally, treatment with positive airway treatment devices (PAP) can be challenging because of PAP-induced droplets and aerosol. In this context, sleep medicine practices are entering a new era and need to adapt rapidly to these circumstances, so as to provide the best care for patients with SDB. Novel approaches, such as telemedicine, may play an important role in the management of patients with SDB during the COVID-19 pandemic.