Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the incidence, course, and prognosis of sudden idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss (SISNHL).

METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted with 55 patients (31 males, 24 females; mean age: 44.4±18.5 years; range, 11 to 83 years) treated for SISNHL. The patients were analyzed in two groups: Group 1, which included 35 patients (24 males, 11 females; mean age: 42.5±18.8 years; range, 11 to 72 years) admitted after the onset of the pandemic between March 2020 and March 2021, and Group 2, which consisted of 20 patients (7 males, 13 females; mean age: 47.5±19.0 years; range, 20 to 83 years) admitted before the pandemic between March 2019 and February 2020. Age, the timing of referral to the otolaryngology clinic after the perception of the first otologic symptom, the severity of the hearing loss, and the status of recovery were investigated. The COVID-19 status of Group 1 was investigated.

RESULTS: The incidence of SISNHL among all patients admitted to our clinic in the same time duration was found to have increased after the COVID-19 pandemic, and this increase was statistically significant (p=0.04). One patient had SISNHL during acute COVID-19. Three patients had COVID-19 three weeks before SISNHL, six patients had COVID-19 three months before SISNHL, and one patient was diagnosed with COVID-19 six months before SISNHL. Fourteen patients were tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 with real-time polymerase chain reaction at the time of admission, which resulted in negative.

CONCLUSION: As the incidence of SISNHL has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic, a possible relation between hearing loss, presenting as SISNHL, and COVID-19 disease should be investigated.