To assess the incidence of new-onset tinnitus and hearing loss following COVID-19 infection or vaccination using a large, real-world electronic health record database.
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Clinicians should be aware that COVID-19 infection may be associated with new-onset tinnitus and hearing loss; however, this retrospective cohort design cannot establish causality, and no change to audiological screening protocols is yet justified pending stronger evidence.
Large real-world data on auditory complications of both COVID-19 infection and vaccination addresses a high-priority public health question and could inform future clinical monitoring guidelines.
- 01Retrospective cohort study using TriNetX real-world electronic health records to assess auditory complications of COVID-19.
- 02Outcomes included new-onset tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hearing loss following COVID-19 infection or vaccination.
- 03Real-world database design allows large sample sizes but limits causal inference due to potential confounders.
- 04Both infection and vaccination arms were assessed, allowing a comparative risk analysis.
- 05Findings could influence future audiological monitoring recommendations for COVID-19 patients.
COVID-19 infection is associated with increased incidence of new-onset tinnitus and hearing loss.
studypartially supportedCOVID-19 vaccination is associated with a measurable incidence of new-onset tinnitus and hearing loss.
studyunclear- PMID
- 42507210
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00405-026-10512-5.
- Journal
- European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Adults in the TriNetX network with documented COVID-19 infection or COVID-19 vaccination
- Intervention
- COVID-19 infection or COVID-19 vaccination exposure
- Comparator
- Unexposed or differently-exposed controls within the TriNetX database
Primary outcomes
Incidence of new-onset tinnitus; Incidence of new-onset hearing loss
