key: cord-0839794-923cs2ll
authors: Trecca, Eleonora M.C.; Gelardi, Matteo; Cassano, Michele
title: COVID-19 and hearing difficulties
date: 2020-04-19
journal: Am J Otolaryngol
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2020.102496
sha: 01c35a6c0cd2875c9965c3e310bac7b24e0376da
doc_id: 839794
cord_uid: 923cs2ll

nan

With the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak Italy has been experiencing one of the saddest chapters in our country's history; about 160.000 positive cases have been registered since the start of the pandemic and ≈104.000 people are currently positive. With more than 20.000 deaths Italy has the highest COVID-19 death toll in the world. Also, 116 physicians died and more than 1000 health workers have been infected with COVID-19 so far. On the 9 th of March 2020 the Italian Government As a consequence, the COVID-19 outbreak is having an impact on mental health; further health problems due to the collective concerns, such as stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, are emerging, leading people to commit suicide in the worst case 3 . In this dreadful scenario additional attention should be paid to people with impairments, such as hearing loss, who are living an extra condition of isolation besides the international social distancing and the Italian quarantine. Information and resources regarding COVID-19 are not always easily accessible for deaf people so that the World Health Organization (WHO) was asked to produce an international signing agreement for the Coronavirus and the COVID-19 4 .

Thanks to the efforts of the Otolaryngology (ORL) societies worldwide, the high risks of Otolaryngologists during this pandemic have been recognized 5 . An additional attention to our specialty is also due to the recent awareness of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions as presenting symptoms of COVID-19 6 . However, since the principal

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Accessed April 5, 2020. 2. Guidance for undertaking otological procedures during COVID-19 pandemic

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