Audiovestibular symptoms and sequelae in COVID-19 patients

Abstract

Background: since the beginning of COVID-19 outbreak a growing number of symptoms and deficits associated with the new pathology have emerged, among them cochlear damage in otherwise asymptomatic COVID-19 patients has been described.

Objective: to investigate general and audiovestibular symptoms and sequelae in healed patients, and to seek for any sign of residual or permanent hearing or vestibular loss.

Methods: we reviewed the data coming from 48 Covid-19 patients whose nasopharyngeal swabs have turned negative, all employed at our facility, that opted in for a free screening of audiovestibular symptoms offered by our hospital after the aforementioned report was published. The screening included a tonal pure tone audiometry, a vHIT and SHIMP test, as well as a survey including known symptoms and audiovestibular symptoms.

Results: general symptoms as reported by our patients largely reflect what reported by others in the literature. 4 (8.3%) patients reported hearing loss, 2 (4.2%) tinnitus, 4 dizziness (8.3%), 1 spinning vertigo (2%), 1 dynamic imbalance (2%), 3 static imbalance (6.3%). Most audiovestibular symptoms have regressed. Thresholds at pure tone audiometry and vHIT gain were within normality range in all post-Covid-19 patients.

Conclusions: even if some patients suffer from audiovestibular symptoms, these are mostly transitory and there is no clear evidence of clinically relevant persistent cochlear or vestibular damage after recovery.

Keywords: audiovestibular symptoms; covid-19; general symptoms; pure tone audiometry; vHIT.