Sudden sensorineural hearing loss and coronavirus disease 2019

Abstract

Abstract Objective To determine if otolaryngologists and audiologists of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery have noticed an increase in the incidence of sudden sensorineural hearing loss during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Methods A questionnaire was developed for the purpose of providing a cross-sectional descriptive analysis of perceived association between the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and an increase in the incidence of sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Results Of respondents, 63.0 per cent did not notice an increase in sudden sensorineural hearing loss during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. There was a weak positive correlation between patients identified with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and the percentage of coronavirus disease 2019 positive patients reported by each medical care provider (Spearman correlation = 0.20, 95 per cent confidence interval = 0.05–0.33). There was no association between geographical location and perceived increase in sudden sensorineural hearing loss (p = 0.38). Conclusion The majority of respondents did not perceive an increase in the incidence of sudden sensorineural hearing loss during the coronavirus pandemic, regardless of geographical region.