AUTHOR=Wu Linsui , Peng Hongyi , He Yufeng , Pu Ling , Zhong Shixun 

TITLE=An online survey on clinical characteristics of otologic symptoms linked to COVID-19 infection

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1184262

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1184262

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objective</title><p>To report the otologic symptoms that present in patients with COVID-19 infection and investigate the pathogenic characteristics during the period of the pandemic.</p></sec><sec><title>Materials and methods</title><p>This cross-sectional descriptive study included participants with COVID-19 infection. COVID-19 infection was verified in these patients by nucleic acid test or antigen test. An online questionnaire was developed to analyze the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and the characteristics of otologic symptoms.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>This study included 2,247 participants, of which nearly half had one or more otologic symptoms. The presents of otologic symptoms were associated with gender (OR = 1.575, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001), age (OR = 0.972, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001), and occupation (healthcare worker: <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001; personnel of enterprises or institutions: OR = 1.792, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001; student: OR = 0.712, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.044). The otologic symptoms following COVID-19 infection in order were vertigo (25.95%), tinnitus (19.05%), otalgia (19.00%), aural fullness (17.18%), hearing loss (11.62%), otorrhea (1.25%), and facial paralysis (0.27%).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>The present study shows that otologic symptoms are common among the COVID-19 infected participants and that these symptoms mostly recover spontaneously. During the corona-virus pandemic, the involvement of the cochleovestibular system and facial nerve should not be overlooked while treating the COVID-19 infected individuals.</p></sec>