According to reports, a 45-year-old British man has lost his hearing in one ear after catching coronavirus – experts warn, the fatal mistake could cause permanent deafness in some patients.
The man – who only had an underlying medical condition called asthma – was referred to an otolaryngologist when he experienced hearing loss after being treated for covid-1 for at the hospital.
His condition worsened after spending about a month on a ventilator, but improved when treated with remediators, steroids and blood transfusions, according to the news outlet.
But the man soon developed tinnitus – or ringing – in his left ear and then lost it in hearing.
Experts found no obstruction or inflammation in his ear canals. Tests for arthritis, HIV and the flu also came back negative, The Sun reports.
“Despite significant literature on COVID-19 and various symptoms associated with the virus, there is a lack of discussion on the relationship between COVID-19 and hearing,” the authors wrote in a report in the peer-reviewed medical journal, BMJ. Formerly known as the British Medical Journal.
“Hearing loss and tinnitus are symptoms that have been seen in patients with both COVID-19 and influenza viruses, but have not been released,” he wrote.
This is the first reported loss of sensory hearing in the UK following Kovid-19 infection, they wrote.
“Given the widespread presence of the virus in the population and the significant distortion of hearing loss, it is important to investigate this further,” the authors added.
“This is especially true given the urgent need to identify and treat hearing loss and the current difficulty in accessing medical services.”
The research was conducted at University College London and the Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital in London.
The case comes after experts at the University of Manchester say patients who have recovered from the coronavirus have reported hearing impairments as well as other conditions such as tinnitus.
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