The long-term Effects of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) on Auditory Thresholds: A Case-Control Study

The available evidence about hearing loss in Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients mostly show sensorineural hearing loss, and the long-term effects of COVID-19 on auditory thresholds are unknown. This study aimed to compare the auditory threshold results in COVID-19 patients (several months after infection) with a control group. The clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 was confirmed with positive polymerase chain reaction findings and radiology images. Hearing evaluation was performed with an audiometry test and a calibrated audiometer in a sound-treated room. The results of 177 patients were compared with those of the 589 matched control group. In both groups, subjects over 50 years old or with any history of ear disease were excluded from the study. The time interval between infection with COVID-19 and hearing tests was 170.51±98.38 days. There was no significant difference between the auditory thresholds in different frequencies in both groups. Also, no significant difference was observed between the auditory thresholds of the two groups in the first, second, and third trimesters after being infected. This study did not show the long-term effects of COVID-19 on auditory thresholds, and the findings do not support hearing loss as a long-term COVID symptom.