Auditory and vestibular symptoms after COVID-19 infection: a preliminary Brazilian report

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose: to present preliminary data on the influence of COVID-19 on the appearance and/or worsening of auditory and vestibular symptoms in the population of a Brazilian state. Methods: an observational, descriptive and quantitative approach of research, carried out from September 2020 to May 2021, in Paraíba, Northeastern Brazil. The research consisted of a self-report questionnaire on the manifestation of COVID-19, general post-infection symptoms, and audio-vestibular symptoms before and after COVID-19, posted on social media using the snowball technique. Results: the sample consisted of 173 people, 89% reporting symptomatic manifestations of COVID-19 with home treatment, 6.9% being asymptomatic, and 4% symptomatic with hospital treatment. A decrease in smell was reported by 126 patients, headache by 76, tinnitus by 76, and dizziness by 72, after infection by COVID-19. An increase in audio-vestibular symptoms was observed, affecting even those who did not present them before COVID. Conclusions: the preliminary results of the research point to a high occurrence and worsening of auditory and vestibular symptoms, following COVID-19.