ABSTRACT
Respiratory disease caused by a mutant coronavirus variant has spread rapidly worldwide. According to reports, the COVID-19 version propagated at the end of 2019 and originated in Wuhan, China. On January 30, 2022, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and on March 11, 2020, the outbreak has declared a pandemic. The COVID-19 infection might appear with no symptoms, very few symptoms, or extremely severe symptoms We are the first to identify sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) as a side effect in COVID-19 patients who have fully recovered from the illness. Additionally, all reported cases of this presentation have an unexplained unilateral left ear involvement. This article reviews the literature and four cases of COVID-19 patients with SSNHL. We present four cases of COVID-19 positivity that were verified by PCR analysis of nasopharyngeal swabs. After fully recovering from the infection, all patients developed acute sensorineural hearing loss on the left side. A deterioration in the hearing ability among COVID-19 survivors makes it possible that the problem persists long after their recovery from infection. To support such a claim, additional in-depth research is required. The current study, in our opinion, will contribute to an increase in understanding about COVID-19, promote awareness, and alert healthcare professionals to take into account and discuss any symptoms.
ABSTRACT
Objective The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of olfactory and gustative dysfunctions (OGD) and analyze their pattern and psychosocial impact among COVID-19 patients. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted among 194 confirmed COVID-19 cases at Al-Noor Specialist Hospital between 1 September 2020 and 30 September 2021. A questionnaire was translated and modified from another study to collect the baseline demographic data and medical history; characterization of smell and taste loss separately, including timing, level, practices or treatment used to restore, recovery, and symptom duration; and the psychological impact of OGD using six items to explore the multidimensional impact, such as daily activity, job performance, and social life. A four-point Likert-type agreement scale was used, and an impact score was calculated. Result As high as 97.4% and 94.8% of the participants declared having experienced a certain level of olfactory and gustative dysfunction, respectively. In the majority of these cases, the dysfunction occurred after the acute phase of the disease and persisted less than one month after onset. Social life (78.4%), job performance (64.4%), and daily life activities (42.8%) were the most frequently impacted dimensions, and 32% of the participants were deemed to have experienced a high psychosocial impact. Younger participants, females, and certain job categories were significantly more impacted than their counterparts. Conclusion OGDs are highly frequent in COVID-19 patients. They are described to be relatively severe and have frequent psychosocial impacts, notably in females and the younger age category. Further research is warranted to determine efficacious preventive and management strategies in order to prevent their long-term impact on wellbeing.