COVID-19 caused hearing loss

Abstract

Purpose The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine if there is a potential link between COVID-19 infection and hearing loss. Methods The prospective study was conducted in the COVID Hospital Clinical Centre Niš, Serbia. We performed tonal audiometry and used a custom questionnaire and medical histories to determine the incidence of hearing loss in COVID-19 positive patients. Results There were 74 patients with COVID-19 that met the inclusion criteria of this study and they composed our experimental group. Fifty-four (73%) were men and 20 (27%) women. There were 30 (40.5%) patients with hearing loss. Seventeen patients had unilateral and 13 had bilateral hearing loss. Significant differences between hearing loss groups and control group were found across all age groups, but not at all frequencies. No important differences were found when unilateral hearing loss and bilateral hearing loss groups were compared. There were no significant differences in distributions of comorbidities between the patients with hearing loss and normal hearing patients. Conclusions We found that 30 (40.5%) of the COVID-19 positive patients had sensorineural type of hearing loss. Across all age groups, there were statistically significant differences in frequencies between the COVID-19 positive patients and the control group. There were no significant differences in distributions of comorbidities between the patients with hearing loss and normal hearing patients. Distribution of unilateral and bilateral hearing loss and audiogram types was also not significantly different between the age groups.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss and coronavirus disease 2019

“…In a second study, 40.5 per cent of Covid-19 positive patients were found to have SNHL. 26 This survey study attempted to determine whether medical care providers in the USA have noticed an association between the current pandemic and sudden SNHL. While there was no statistically significant association determined, 37 per cent of respondents had noticed an increase in sudden SNHL during the pandemic.…”

Otovestibular Symptoms of COVID-19 and Its Vaccines/Treatments

“…The summary article by Fancello et al [48] reviewed numerous case reports and two case series of COVID-19 patients, including both sexes, with a similarly broad range of ages, with unilateral (more common) or bilateral (less common) sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The prospective single-institution study by Dusan et al [42] reported a similar variety.…”

“…The literature is accumulating regarding an association between COVID-19 infection and hearing loss. While a few papers failed to find any relationship between COVID-19 and hearing loss [33,34], a growing number of case reports [35][36][37][38][39][40][41] and case series [42][43][44][45][46] have documented clear instances of hearing loss in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The summary article by De Luca et al [47] reviewed numerous case reports and a case series of COVID-19 patients, including both sexes, with a broad range of ages (18-84 years), with unilateral or bilateral typically sudden onset sensorineural hearing loss.…”

Adverse Audio-Vestibular Effects of Drugs and Vaccines Used in the Treatment and Prevention of COVID-19: A Review

“…According to the literature and clinical observations, COVID-19 may cause hearing loss, and this may be an important factor when diagnosing audio-vestibular disorders. Consequently, according to the known clinical effects in human and animal models, health care providers should monitor signs and symptoms of audio-vestibular disorders or impairment in COVID-19 patients and are being treated with drugs against the virus [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 ].…”