Corrigendum: COVID-19 and sudden sensorineural hearing loss: a systematic review.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.883749.].

Relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and hearing loss: A mini-review

The most reported symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were initially fever, dry cough, and sore throat. However, as we continue to review the literature, the loss of taste and smell were also added as clinical symptoms of the novel SARS-CoV-2. At present, the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the auditory system is still not well-understood. This study is mini-review and aims to find out more about the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and hearing loss through review of the literature. From our findings, hearing loss is the primary otological symptom of SARS-CoV-2, followed by tinnitus and dizziness. In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2 may have an effect on our auditory system, but due to the small sample sizes in the existing literature, further prospective studies are warranted to determine the relationship between the virus and hearing loss. Copyright © The Author(s) 2022.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss in coronavirus disease-2019: Our experience

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing global pandemic exerting considerable strain on the health-care system. Sudden-onset sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) among patients with COVID-19 had been reported sparingly in the literature. Hearing loss can be easily overlooked in intensive care settings and establishing diagnosis can also be challenging. Proposed causes include injury to inner ear structures, cochlear nerve, or auditory brainstem. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is recommended to avoid long-term morbidity. All patients presenting with sudden-onset hearing loss should be screened for COVID-19. Here, we report a case of COVID-19 patient with SSNHL and how the hearing level is determined. Copyright © 2022 Indian Journal of Otology Published by Wolters Kluwer-Medknow.

Can COVID-19 cause sudden sensorineural hearing loss?

Introduction Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is defined as a hearing loss occurred within 3 days with decreasing of hearing level at least 30 dB in as a minimum three frequencies. The exact etiology and pathology of SSNHL is still unknown and the causes can be identified in only 10 to 15 percent of diagnosed cases. Methods Goal: To study the correlation of SSNHL and Covid-19 infections. We selected 10 patients who came to our clinic with SSNHL and who recently recovered from Covid-19 infection. They were admitted to clinic on 20-25th days of their COVID-19 infection, all selected patients were received remdesivir, intravenous steroids and plasma exchange to treat their COVID-19 infection and clinically improved. During 1-3 weeks of the treatment their noticed left-sided tinnitus and SSNHL. They all had no previous ear pathology. Results On ear examination external auditory canal canals and tympanic membranes are normal, were found negative Rinne's test on left side and Weber's test lateralising to the opposite side, tympanogram type A, no acoustic reflexes on left ear. When performed laboratory tests after 2 months of post-onset of SSNHL in all patients were found a positive COVID-19 IgG antibodies which showing initial time of SSNHL incidence. Such as, was not found any other risk factors for evolving SSNHL except Covid-19, so we came to conclusion, that the patient's SSNHL is complication of COVID-19 infection and probably this infection can cause unilateral intralabyrinthine or intracochlear hemorrhage, damages the inner ear's delicate hair cells and/or the blood supply.

Can SARS-CoV-2 positive pregnant women affect the hearing of their newborns: A systematic review.

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused over 500 million confirmed cases (including pregnant women) worldwide. Recently, hearing status in newborns born to mothers with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has received attention. This systematic review outlines the current knowledge regarding the effects of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on newborn hearing. Intrauterine SARS-CoV-2 infection has the potential to affect the auditory system of the newborn due to intrauterine hypoxia and vertical transmission. SARS-CoV-2 might have a greater influence on hearing loss (HL) in newborns during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Therefore, all newborns whose mothers had COVID-19 during pregnancy should be evaluated for cochlear function, regardless of whether their mothers were symptomatic at the time of the disease. However, the understanding of this issue is not consistent and remains controversial. Since early identification and intervention of congenital HL are crucial to the language development of newborns, newborns should be provided with audiological evaluation by various approaches, including Tele-audiology, in the COVID-19 era.

COVID-19 and Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review.

A growing body of evidence suggests that patients with the 2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have a risk of developing sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). The pathogenesis of COVID-19-related SSNHL remains unclear. This systematic review examined whether COVID-19 causes an increased incidence of SSNHL and the clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19-related SSNHL according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. SSNHL usually developed between a few days and 2 months after the diagnosis of COVID-19, and a proportion of patients developed it before the diagnosis of COVID-19. The literature is inconsistent regarding whether COVID-19 causes an increased incidence of SSNHL, and this matter remains unclear. This review included 23 patients with COVID-19-related SSNHL, all adult patients with an average age of 43.1 years. Of these patients, 60.9% had accompanying tinnitus symptoms. Glucocorticoids are the preferred medication to treat COVID-19-related SSNHL. Intratympanic administration may be considered to reduce the side effects of the drug. Hearing tests are suggested when hearing loss is suspected in COVID-19 individuals, and if SSNHL is detected, prompt and aggressive treatment is vital. Large-scale, multicenter research on the pathophysiology, treatment, and prognosis of COVID-19- related SSNHL should be conducted in the future.

Evaluation of the effects of Covid-19 on cochleovestibular system with audiovestibular tests.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on audiovestibular system with Transiently Evoked Distortion Otoacoustic Emissions (TOAE), Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE), video head impulse test (vHIT) and caloric test. METHODS: Audiovestibular findings of 24 patients with moderate/severe COVID-19 and 24 healthy controls were compared using pure tone audiometry, tympanometry, TOAE, DPOAE, caloric test, and vHIT. RESULTS: On audiometry, the pure tone averages of the COVID-19 patients were higher than the controls (P = .038). The TEOAE amplitudes at 4000 and 5000 Hz (P = .006 and P < .01), and DPOAE amplitudes at 3000, 6000, and 8000 Hz (P < .001, P = .003 and P < .001) were significantly lower in COVID-19 patients compared to the controls. On vestibular tests, there was no significant difference between the caloric test results of the patients and the controls (P > .05). On vHIT testing, amplitudes of right semicircular canal was found to be significantly lower in COVID-19 group compared to the control group (P = .008). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 may affect inner ear functions causing a subtle damage in the outer hair cells and lateral semicircular canals. It must be kept in mind that COVID-19 may cause cochleovestibular problems.

Sudden hearing loss and vestibular disorders during and before COVID-19 pandemic: An audiology tertiary referral centre experience.

PURPOSE: During the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic a reduction in the diagnosis of many otorhinolaryngological and audiological disorders has been widely reported. The main aim of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on the incidence of acute hearing and vestibular disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of all patients evaluated in an audiology tertiary referral centre for acute cochleo-vestibular impairment between March 1st 2020 and February 28th 2021 (Pandemic Year Period, PYP). Results were compared to patients presenting with the same disorders during two previous periods (March 1st 2019 to February 29th 2020 and March 1st 2018 to February 28th 2019; First Precedent Year Period, FPYP and Second Precedent Year Period, SPYP, respectively). RESULTS: The annual incidence of total acute audio-vestibular disorders (number of annual diagnoses divided by total number of annual audiological evaluations) was 1.52% during the PYP, 1.31% in FPYP and 1.20% in SPYP. Comparison between the pandemic period and previous periods did not show a significant difference (p > 0.05). The overall incidence of SSNHL and combined acute cochlear-vestibular involvement was significantly higher during the PYP compared to the previous periods (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences in the absolute number of acute audio-vestibular disorders during the pandemic compared to previous periods. Although not significant, the SSNHL during the pandemic appeared worse in terms of pure-tone average with a higher incidence of associated vestibular involvement. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of SARS-CoV-2 on audio-vestibular disorders incidence and pathophysiology.

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and audio-vestibular disorders.

To describe the audio-vestibular disorders related to the newly SARS-CoV-2 infection, including the possible ototoxicity side-effects related to the use of drugs included in the SARS-CoV-2 treatment protocols. A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA protocol. The Medline and Embase databases were searched from March 1, 2020 to April 9, 2021. Initially the search yielded 400 manuscripts, which were reduced to 15, upon the application of inclusion criteria. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is the most frequent audio-vestibular symptom described, occurring alone or in association with tinnitus and vertigo. The etiopathogenesis of the inner ear disorders related to COVID-19 infection is still poorly understood. The number of reports of COVID-19 infections associated to audio-vestibular disorders is increasing; even if the quality of the studies available is often insufficient, audio-vestibular disorders should be considered as possible manifestations to be included among the symptoms of this infection.