A new symptom is added to an already long list: hearing loss. A first British case has reportedly lost hearing in his left ear after contamination with Covid-19.
Hearing loss, a symptom that has become permanent for a patient
A first case of temporary hearing loss was reported in April 2020 in Thailand. However, no patient suffered from this symptom permanently until recently. This week, a 45-year-old man lost his hearing suddenly and permanently. This is the first case not to recover from hearing loss. This Briton who suffers from asthma was placed on a ventilator in intensive care. After his release from intensive care, he notices that he suffers from tinnitus, he claims to hear a shrill ringing. A few days later, he lost all hearing in his left ear. After an examination, he discovers that his ear canals and eardrums are intact. Doctors are reporting that this symptom could be strongly linked to Covid-19. The SARS-CoV-2 virus combined with a particular type of cell located in the lungs would have invaded the ear, causing an inflammatory reaction and an increase in cytokines responsible for the hearing loss.
Screening necessary to confirm this symptom
” Despite the considerable literature on Covid-19 and the various symptoms associated with the virus, there is a lack of discussion on the relationship between Covid-19 and hearing Explain the doctors in the journal BMJ Case Reports. The specialties recommend screening for hearing loss in hospitals, even in intensive care, in order to prevent this symptom and adapt more quickly with steroid treatment to offer a better chance of recovery. Doctor Matthew Stewart of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States performed an autopsy on three deceased patients and revealed that the virus had lodged in the middle ear and the mastoid bone (just behind the ear). “Personally, I suspect that the coronavirus has the potential to have even worse consequences for the ear. »He admits, thinking of the blood clotting. Hearing loss is still very rare.
