Early CPAP in COVID-19 Confirmed or Suspected Patients

The study team proposes a randomized controlled trial of CPAP (n=100) vs. control (n=100) in COVID-19 suspected or confirmed patients with pneumonia or respiratory illness. The overarching aim of this proposal is to determine if early use of CPAP at home will reduce hypoxemic events or reduce the need for hospital admission or death in COVID-19 suspected or confirmed patients. The study team will include adult patients (age\>18) who live alone or have more than one bedroom at home, with serologically confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection, who have one or more of the following: fever (\>38ºC), sore throat, myalgia or flu-like illness AND have one or more of the following additional symptom or diagnostic criteria: abnormal chest x-ray, new onset cough, mild hypoxemia at rest (saturation less than 96%), abnormal lung exam, chest tightness or shortness of breath AND who are without need for hospital admission. Patients with preexisting pulmonary diseases such as advanced COPD, advanced parenchymal lung disease, history of pneumothorax etc. will be excluded. Participants in both arms will be shipped a pulse oximeter to monitor oxygen saturation and a disposable home sleep apnea monitor (WatchPAT) to track blood oxygen level continuously for 12 hours with data feed into a cloud based platform. Additionally, 100 patients will be randomized to receive CPAP at fixed pressure (8-10cm H20) for 72 hours continuously (except for daily activities such as eating, personal activities and breaks for ambulation etc). The CPAP pressure will be adjusted based on patient's comfort but will not deviate from the range of 8-10cm. While the study protocol will end at 72 hours, patients who wish to continue CPAP will be allowed to do so for symptomatic benefit up to 7 days from randomization. All CPAP recipients will be given a full-face mask and will be asked to stay in quarantine for the duration of the protocol to avoid risk of infecting family members with aerosol (separate consent to be obtained from household members who are elderly or with comorbidities.) The study team hypothesizes that early low-grade fixed CPAP in COVID infected patients who have respiratory abnormalities will reduce hypoxemic events and decrease the risk of subsequent hospitalization or death in 14 days from randomization. The study will also address whether use of CPAP in the home increases the risk of infecting household family members.