![]() ![]() Cerumen analysis revealed that the virus was not detectable (n=60) but the second study (Hanege et al, 2020) identified evidence of the virus in approximately 40 percent of the patients (n=38). Two studies were published in the fall 2020 that evaluated the presence of the virus in the cerumen of COVID-19 positive patients (Islamoglu et al, 2020). ![]() Because of unknown cognitive impairments from COVID-19, patients should have a close family member or friend accompany them to confirm the answers to the medical history (see “Brain Fog”–Mild Cognitive Impairment section). The use of a self-assessment tool such as the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (Newman et al, 1990) could be very effective to learn more about the patient before testing begins. It would be beneficial to develop a separate COVID-19 Survivor case history form given the current ‘unknowns” about the virus.Īudiologists need to know if the auditory/vestibular complaints are new or reflect a change/deterioration of a pre-existing condition. Case HistoryĪ case history is the first step with any patient encounter although traditional case history questions might not provide sufficient information with the COVID-19 population. Since then, a small body of knowledge began to emerge about the virus’ presence in all parts of the auditory system from the outer ear to the auditory cortex. Absent from the list were hearing loss, balance issues and auditory processing disorder (Lambert, 2020). The ISM study collected data on 1,550 persons and identified 50 complaints after medical intervention for the virus. Since July 2020, a dozen diagnostic terms have appeared in the literature to describe these patients. These patients were described as “long-haulers” (Lambert, 2020) who continued to have medical issues for weeks and even months after the diagnosis. The first report about an ear-related side effect was published in July 2020 after the Indiana School of Medicine (ISM) began following COVID-19 survivors to determine if their treatments were a complete success of if there were any lingering medical issues. There was some concern about hearing loss (n=82) but limited info was available (Sriwijitalai and Wiwanitkit, 2020). Thailand was the first country to experience the outbreak after China. The first published concern about the virus’ risk of causing hearing loss was reported in Thailand in March, 2020. Access a print-friendly PDF of this article here. This article is a part of the May/June 2021, Volume 33, Number 3, Audiology Today issue. ![]()
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