Study of Hearing Status in COVID-19 Patients: A Multicentered Review

Abstract

To evaluate the hearing status of COVID-19 patients and compare with control group. Prospective study carried out in 9 institutes. The pure tone audiogram and impedance audiometry of COVID-19 patients performed initially and at 3 months follow up. The control group consisted COVID-19 negative individuals with no history of ear related diseases. The average of air and bone conduction threshold (AC and BC) were compared between the COVID-19 patients and control group using independent t-test with a p value of less than 0.05 considered significant. Total of 331 patients, age 32 ± 4.3 years, 66.7% males and 33.3% females were included in the study. There were 80 individuals in the control group. Aural symptoms were, tinnitus in 1.8%, aural fullness in 1.4%, hearing loss in 3. 9%, and ear ache in 1.8% were present initially, resolved at 3 months follow up. The impedance audiometry demonstrated type B and type C curve in 5.1% and 1.15% ears, and out of these 64.7% and 40% improved at 3 months follow up respectively. No significant difference observed between the average AC and BC of the COVID-19 patients and control group. The COVID-19 infection may present with aural symptoms; however, it was concluded that there was no significant difference in the hearing status of the COVID-19 positive patients in comparison to the control group. The presence of some changes in the normal functioning of the eustachian tube and middle ear in the COVID-19 infection was also highlighted.

Keywords: COVID-19; Hearing; Impedance audiometry; Pure tone audiometry.

Fig. 1

Distribution of the patients on the basis of aural symptoms. Abbreviations: IGMH Indira Gandhi memorial hospital, PAHS Patan academy of health sciences, HAMS Hospital for advanced medicine and surgery, DMC Devdaha Medical college, NMC National Medical college, OMC Osmania Medical college, CHRC Continental hospital and research center, RMRI Rajshree Medical Research Institute

Fig. 2

Average AC and BC of group 1 and 2 along with the control group for low frequency with their SD. Note: ‘n’ signifies total number of ears. Abbreviations: AC Air conduction, BC Bone conduction, SD standard deviation, IGMH Indira Gandhi memorial hospital, PAHS Patan academy of health sciences, HAMS Hospital for advanced medicine and surgery, DMC Devdaha Medical college, NMC National Medical college, OMC Osmania Medical college, CHRC Continental hospital and research center, RMRI Rajshree Medical Research Institute

Fig. 3

Average AC and BC of group 1 and 2 along with the control group for high frequency with their SD. Note: ‘n’ signifies total number of ears. Abbreviations: AC Air conduction, BC Bone conduction, SD standard deviation, IGMH Indira Gandhi memorial hospital, PAHS Patan academy of health sciences, HAMS Hospital for advanced medicine and surgery, DMC Devdaha Medical college, NMC National Medical college, OMC Osmania Medical college, CHRC Continental hospital and research center, RMRI Rajshree Medical Research Institute

Fig. 4

Impedance audiometry of the patients in group 1 and group 2. Note: ‘n’ signifies total number of ears. Abbreviations: IGMH Indira Gandhi memorial hospital, PAHS Patan academy of health sciences, HAMS Hospital for advanced medicine and surgery, DMC Devdaha Medical college, NMC National Medical college, OMC Osmania Medical college, CHRC Continental hospital and research center, RMRI Rajshree Medical Research Institute