ClinicalTrials.gg
Status unknownNCT05116657Updated Nov 11, 2021

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Post Covid 19: Role of the Upper Airway Microbiome

An observational study in Sleepiness, SARS-CoV2 Infection and Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic, sponsored by Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland. Status unknown. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-11-11.

Sponsored by Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland · Observational

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Nov 2021), so the status shown — last known as Not yet recruiting — may be out of date.
Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
50
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease, Covid-19, has spread rapidly across the globe since its emergence in January 2020. As of January 2021, there are 87.6 million confirmed cases worldwide, with 1.9milion deaths. In conjunction with this high disease incidence, there have also been reports of Covid-19 related sleep disordered breathing, with up 18% in a Chinese study and 57% in an Italian study of individuals with Covid-19 reporting sleep disturbance.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common, chronic condition due to partial or complete upper airway collapse during sleep. OSA is more common in males \& obese individuals, both of which are more adversely affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, inflammation of the upper airway, or nasal passages leading to congestion could lead to a compromised upper airway during sleep and subsequently, obstructive sleep apnea.

We believe that's SARS -CoV-2 infection, and subsequent Covid-19 will lead to an altered microbiome in the upper airway. This is turn will lead to worsening nasal inflammation and congestion, which could predispose individual with previous Covid-19 disease to OSA.

Additionally, OSA is treated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) a machine which delivers pressurized air into the upper airway via a face mask. This keeps the upper airway open during sleep. When CPAP is well tolerated by individuals, it works well to reduce the symptoms of OSA. Unfortunately, many patients find it difficult to tolerate CPAP. One reason often reported for poor tolerance is nasal congestion. We believe that an altered upper airway microbiome, due to previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, will affect treatment adherence to CPAP therapy. Secondly, we will investigate if treatment with CPAP therapy causes any change in the upper airway microbiome.

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Conditions studied

  • Sleepiness
  • SARS-CoV2 Infection
  • Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic
  • Snoring

Keywords

  • sars-CoV2
  • microbiome
  • obstructive sleep apnea
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In context

Sleepiness

92 studies on the registry are indexed under Sleepiness; 20 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 50 is below the median of 103 across 27 observational studies indexed under Sleepiness.

Browse Sleepiness studies →

Lead sponsor

Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland is the lead sponsor of 93 studies on the registry; 44 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Participants will be selected from the Sleep Clinic and Post-Covid Clinic in Beaumont Hospital. Participants with snoring and daytime somnolence requiring sleep assessment as part of routine clinical care will be selected.

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Symptoms of sleepiness, fatigue, loud snoring

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Gross skeletal alterations affecting the upper airway (eg.micrognathia)
  2. Unstable chronic medical conditions known to affect OSA (CHF, stroke) 3.
  3. Pregnancy or intent to become pregnant within the period of the protocol
  4. Inability to sign form
  5. Habitual snorer or previous diagnosis of OSA.
  6. Less than 18 years of age.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
50 participants (estimated)
Patient registry
No
Biospecimen retention
Samples with dna

Groups and cohorts

  • SARS-CoV2 OSA

    Patients will be recruited from both Post-COVID19 and Sleep Clinics run through Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont, Dublin, Ireland. This will allow for the recruitment of patients with and without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

    Diagnostic Test: Nasal Lavage and Oral Wash

  • Non-SARS-CoV2 OSA

    Patients will be recruited from both Post-COVID19 and Sleep Clinics run through Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont, Dublin, Ireland. This will allow for the recruitment of patients with and without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

    Diagnostic Test: Nasal Lavage and Oral Wash

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testNasal Lavage and Oral Wash

    * Nasal Lavage: The nasal lavage will be performed using a spray technique. Using a disposable metered-dose inhaler (100 µl per spray), room temperature saline will be sprayed in one nostril while the other nostril is closed. After 5 sprays, the subject will gently exhale through the lavaged nostril and the fluid will be collected in a specimen cup. The procedure will be repeated a minimum of 8 times and a maximum of 15 times in each nostril. After collection, the sample will be placed on ice and processed within 2 hours. * Oral Rinse: Oral samples will be collected using a standardized procedure in accordance with the Manual of Procedures for Human Microbiome Project.Study participants will rinse their mouth (swish/gargle) with 15 mL sterile normal saline for 1 min, and will expectorate the contents of the mouth into a 50 mL centrifuge tube. Sample should be kept cold on ice until processing.

    Also known as: Home Sleep Study, Positive Airway Pressure if diagnosed with Sleep Apnea

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Examine the incidence of post SARS-CoV-2 infection obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and its relationships with the upper airway/nasal microenvironment

    Time frame: 1 year

Secondary outcomes

  1. Determine the relationship between post- SARS-CoV-2 Infection OSA, Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) treatment adherence and change in the upper airway/nasal microenvironment.

    Time frame: 1 year

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Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Nov 11, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05116657
Lead sponsor
Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 11, 2021
Start date
Nov 22, 2021 (estimated)
Primary completion
Jan 1, 2023 (estimated)
Completion
Jan 1, 2023 (estimated)
Last update
Nov 11, 2021

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is status unknown, as verified in Nov 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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