The findings of a novel study associate hearing loss and other auditory problems with COVID-19. The findings of the study were published in the International Journal of Audiology. The research was led by the University of Manchester and NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) scientists.
Professor Kevin Munro and PhD researcher Ibrahim Almufarrij found 56 studies that identified an association between COVID-19 and auditory and vestibular problems. They pooled data from 24 of the studies to estimate that the prevalence of hearing loss was 7.6 per cent, tinnitus was 14.8 per cent and vertigo was 7.2 per cent.
However, the team – who followed up their review carried out a year ago – described the quality of the studies as fair. Their data primarily used self-reported questionnaires or medical records to obtain COVID-19-related symptoms, rather than the more scientifically reliable hearing tests.
The study was funded by is NIHR Manchester Biomedical…