ABSTRACT
The Coronavirus Disease of 2019 has now become one of the biggest pandemics of all time. Under the influence of ongoing mutations and widespread geographical expansions, several variants have been reported. Among those, the B.1.617.2 variant, most commonly known as the 'Delta variant' of the coronavirus disease - 19, was first reported in the state of Maharashtra of India in December 2020 and have currently been detected in over 43 countries across six continents around the globe. The B.1.617.2 variant of COVID 19 is a more treacherous variant than the alpha variant due to the increased replication leading to higher viral loads and increased transmission with minimal literature reporting about vaccines' efficacy. In patients with the Alpha variant of COVID-19, hearing loss was an infrequent symptom seen, but on the other hand, the Delta variant happens to have a more frequent hearing loss as a symptom. The increased severity could be one of the reasons why hearing loss could be a typically seen symptom with high chances of occurrence of either a thrombosis, cross-reaction, labyrinthitis/neuritis, etc. and thus audiologists and otolaryngologists must be prepared for the post effect of the delta variant to evaluate and rehabilitate the individuals affected with hearing loss. The following article discusses the presence of hearing loss in individuals with delta variant of COVID 19 and the role of audiologists and otolaryngologists in hearing care.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Typical cloth and medical masks, which are mandatory to wear during the COVID 19 pandemic, create visual barrier, obscure linguistic and nonverbal communication and interaction. Ski-slope hearing loss patients often don't admit their auditory insufficiency and do not use hearing aids due to acceptable speech intelligibility by using visual access to the mouth and other potential facial cues. PURPOSE: To assess the impact of universal face medical masks in public places on motivation to using hearing aids of patients with ski-slope hearing loss. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All the 504 patients (18-65 years old), who applied for < hearing care assistance and for the first time bought hearing aid were included. 266 patients (group A) applied from June to November 2020, when wearing facial masks was mandatory; 238 patients (group B) applied from June to November 2019, when wearing facial masks wasn't required. In both groups patients, who fulfilled the following criteria, were selected: 1) binaural mild to severe sensorineural ski-slope hearing loss lasting more than 3 years; 2) no progression of hearing loss within the last 3 years; 3) pure tone audiometry <20 dB HL at 125-1000 Hz frequencies; 4) hearing care with mono- or binaural hearing aids with the receiver-in-the-canal open-type. Questionnaires were administered to eligible patients in group A to assess the motivational components of acquiring hearing aids. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In group A, 74 (28%) patients received hearing aids according to the inclusion criteria, and in group B, 46 (19%) patients received hearing aids (p=0.033). Significant factors determining hearing aid acquisition were lack of visual contact when wearing a mask, communication difficulties in noisy environments and lack of intelligibility in a concert hall or lecture. CONCLUSION: Patients' motivation to hearing care grows in mandatory wearing facial masks conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic leading to an increase in patients using hearing aids.