Predictors of Post-COVID-19 Clinical and Cognitive Consequences

Predictors of Post-COVID Clinical and Cognitive Consequences

The CDC describes Post-acute sequelae of SARS-COV-2 infection (PASC) for the wide range of physical and mental health consequences experienced by some patients. These sequelae may be present four or more weeks after SARS-COV-2 infection, including patients who had initial mild or asymptomatic acute infection. However, there is complete absence of data whether chronic sleep changes due to COVID-19 infection may influence these physical and mental health consequences. While fatigue is one of the common post-COVID conditions, there are no systematic examinations of sleep disturbances in COVID-19 survivors. This will be a pilot observational retrospective and prospective cohort study, to systematically assess if sleep disturbances and severity of sleep apnea comprise a modifiable facet of PASC as well as the short-term and longer-term effects of COVID-19 infection itself on sleep, cognitive function, exercise capacity and lung function.

This pilot study will systematically collect data to assess if sleep disturbances and severity of sleep apnea comprises a modifiable facet of PASC. This study will be the first step towards collecting preliminary data for a larger, longer-duration and more comprehensive study regarding the relationships between long-COVID and sleep disturbances which can inform future healthcare strategies and clinical decision-making. The study will also explore whether inflammatory biomarkers levels during acute COVID infection predict severity and duration of long-COVID or PASC and sleep fragmentation post-COVID.

Objectives: The overall goal of this project is to determine the associations between chronic post-COVID fatigue and sleep duration and sleep quality in patients after recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection. The investigators have adopted the CDC definition for Post-COVID Conditions which persist for four or more weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection and also is known as Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-COV-2 infection (PASC).

Specific Aim 1: Determine associations between sleep duration and sleep quality on PASC-related fatigue symptoms, cognitive function, biomarker levels and vigilance.

Specific Aim 2. Determine if presence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and level of PAP adherence during and prior to COVID-9 infection in patients with OSA predicts PASC- related fatigue, cognitive function and quality of life (QoL).

Exploratory Aim: Determine whether partial or full/booster vaccinations with COVID-19 mRNA vaccine vs. no vaccination has an impact on chronic post-COVID fatigue and sleep disturbances.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All individuals 18 years or older, with prior history of COVID-19 infection diagnosis
• Both genders including all racial and ethnic groups
• Patients with OSA (apnea hypopnea index of 5/hour on polysomnography) with history of COVID-19 infection will be eligible with prior history of COVID-19 infection and without COVID-19 for Aim 2

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inability to give consent
• Active suicidal symptoms
• Children of all ages
• Pregnant women