tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Otol
. 2021 Feb 3.
doi: 10.1016/j.joto.2021.01.005. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2 and hearing: an audiometric analysis of COVID-19 hospitalized patients
Francisco Alves de Sousa[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Rodrigo Pinto Costa[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sandra Xar?[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ana N?brega Pinto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Cec?lia Almeida E Sousa[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Purpose: COVID-19 associated hearing loss is still an ongoing matter of debate. No original studies exist on audiological effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients. The main objective was to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 may affect auditory function in clinically ill COVID-19 patients.
Materials and methods: COVID-19 patients with moderate-severe disease and without prior history of hearing abnormalities were enrolled from a tertiary referral center, and matched with controls. Participants performed an audiometric evaluation, and thresholds were compared.
Results: 120 ears from 60 patients were enrolled. Patients with COVID-19 showed worse mean auditory thresholds starting from 1000 Hz through higher frequencies, when compared to controls (1000 Hz: 18.52 ? 5.49 dB HL in controls vs 25.36 ? 6.79 dB HL in COVID-19, p<0.001; 2000Hz: 17.50 ? 5.57 dB HL in controls vs 21.96 ? 7.05 dB HL in COVID-19, p=0.010; 3000Hz: 17.97 ? 8.07 dB HL in controls vs 25 ? 9.38 dB HL in COVID-19, p=0.003; 4000 Hz: 20.16 ? 10.12 dB HL in controls vs 29.55 ? 11.26 dB HL in COVID-19, p=0.001; 8000 Hz: 31.09 ? 12.75 dB HL in controls vs 40.71 ? 19.40 dB HL in COVID-19, p=0.030; Pure Tone Average: 20.42 ? 4.29 dB HL in controls vs 24.85 ? 5.62 dB HL in COVID-19, p=0.001). Statistical significance persisted after adjusting for confounders such as age, gender and various comorbidities (p<0.05).
Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 may affect hearing in COVID-19 patients with moderate-severe disease. Results are in line with the previous suggested effects of COVID-19 on auditory system. This study is expected to encourage further research on this topic.
Keywords: Audiometry; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Hearing; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2021 Feb 3.
doi: 10.1016/j.joto.2021.01.005. Online ahead of print.
SARS-CoV-2 and hearing: an audiometric analysis of COVID-19 hospitalized patients
Francisco Alves de Sousa[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Rodrigo Pinto Costa[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sandra Xar?[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ana N?brega Pinto[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Cec?lia Almeida E Sousa[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33558808
- PMCID: PMC7857034
- DOI: 10.1016/j.joto.2021.01.005
Abstract
Purpose: COVID-19 associated hearing loss is still an ongoing matter of debate. No original studies exist on audiological effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients. The main objective was to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 may affect auditory function in clinically ill COVID-19 patients.
Materials and methods: COVID-19 patients with moderate-severe disease and without prior history of hearing abnormalities were enrolled from a tertiary referral center, and matched with controls. Participants performed an audiometric evaluation, and thresholds were compared.
Results: 120 ears from 60 patients were enrolled. Patients with COVID-19 showed worse mean auditory thresholds starting from 1000 Hz through higher frequencies, when compared to controls (1000 Hz: 18.52 ? 5.49 dB HL in controls vs 25.36 ? 6.79 dB HL in COVID-19, p<0.001; 2000Hz: 17.50 ? 5.57 dB HL in controls vs 21.96 ? 7.05 dB HL in COVID-19, p=0.010; 3000Hz: 17.97 ? 8.07 dB HL in controls vs 25 ? 9.38 dB HL in COVID-19, p=0.003; 4000 Hz: 20.16 ? 10.12 dB HL in controls vs 29.55 ? 11.26 dB HL in COVID-19, p=0.001; 8000 Hz: 31.09 ? 12.75 dB HL in controls vs 40.71 ? 19.40 dB HL in COVID-19, p=0.030; Pure Tone Average: 20.42 ? 4.29 dB HL in controls vs 24.85 ? 5.62 dB HL in COVID-19, p=0.001). Statistical significance persisted after adjusting for confounders such as age, gender and various comorbidities (p<0.05).
Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 may affect hearing in COVID-19 patients with moderate-severe disease. Results are in line with the previous suggested effects of COVID-19 on auditory system. This study is expected to encourage further research on this topic.
Keywords: Audiometry; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Hearing; SARS-CoV-2.