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. 2025 Jan;39(1):287.e19-287.e25.
doi: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2022.06.033. Epub 2022 Jul 4.

Voice Sequelae Following Recovery From COVID-19

Tatiana Romero Arias  1 , Moisés Betancort Montesinos  2
Affiliations

Voice Sequelae Following Recovery From COVID-19

Tatiana Romero Arias et al. J Voice. 2025 Jan.

Abstract

Introduction: Covid-19 is an infectious disease with a different symptomatic implication depending on each person. There are sequelae in the nervous, cardiovascular, and/or digestive system that involve the approach and multidisciplinary work of different health professionals where the speech therapist is included. In this way, we can speak of a direct relationship between speech therapy and Covid-19; especially in those patients with serious sequelae such as the inability to eat and/or speak and the loss of voice. The damage caused to the laryngeal mucosa triggers the loss of some of the qualities of the voice, limiting oral communication. That is why we can find dysphonias caused by a great weakness, by a continuous overexertion or because of a paralysis of the vocal cords.

Objectives/hypothesis: The objective of this study was to identify the patterns of behavior in the biomechanical correlates of people who passed Covid-19 symptomatically with sequelae in voice.

Methods: An experimental study with a total of 21 participants (11 women and 10 men) with sequelae in voice post Covid-19 is presented. Voice samples were collected and biomechanical correlates were analyzed through the Voice Clinical Systems program.

Results and conclusions: The results show different altered biomechanical patterns between men and women that correlate with other infectious diseases.

Keywords: Biomechanical correlates; Covid-19; Voice analysis; Vowel sounds.

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Conflict of interest statement

DECLARATION OF COMPETING INTERESTS The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Linear relationship and histogram of distribution for parameters of interest. Note Pr01 “Fundamental Frequency in Hz”. Pr09 “Strength of the glottic closure”. Pr10 “Efficiency Index”. Pr21“Structural imbalance index”. * P < 0.05.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Image provided by the otolaryngology service of the Vithas Nuestra Señora de América Hospital in Madrid.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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