A trend of otologic diseases during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic period.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) changed the practice of medicine, and various anti-contagion restrictions were implemented worldwide.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the annual trend in the incidence of otologic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the influence of social restrictions on these diseases.

Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the number of patients treated for otologic diseases, particularly those associated with infectious pathophysiology, and the total number of patients in the otolaryngology departments at three tertiary referral centers in South Korea.

Results: The number of patients who underwent ventilation tube insertion due to persistent otitis media with effusion (OME) significantly decreased (raw number: -37.1%, incidence: -2.04‰) after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a sharp increase was observed in 2023 (raw number: +42.9%, incidence: +1.63‰) when the pandemic officially ended. The number of patients newly diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) gradually increased during the pandemic period.

Conclusions and significance: Restrictive measures to control COVID-19 spread positively influenced the reduction in the incidence of OME. Whether COVID-19 is a direct risk factor for SSNHL remains uncertain, but the potential impact of the virus itself or the COVID-19 vaccine on the auditory system appears to exist.