Sudden Hearing Loss in Patients With COVID-19: Case Series and Analysis of the Literature

Abstract

This study reports on patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) presenting with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study included four adult patients who presented with the complaint of unilateral SSNHL after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR from January to April 2022. Of the four patients, only one young adult recovered his hearing following a combination of oral and intratympanic steroid therapy. It is a challenge to confirm evidence of association between COVID-19 and SSNHL. Nevertheless, the early screening and diagnosis for SSNHL following COVID-19 enables prompt treatment with steroids, which offers the best chance of hearing recovery.