Skip to main content

phonatory function and characteristic of voice in recovering COVID-19 Survivors

Research Authors
Dalia Galal Yasien, Eman Sayed Hassan and Hanan A Mohamed
Research Date
Research Journal
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-laryngology
Research Publisher
springer
Research Rank
Q 2 web of science
Research Vol
279(9)
Research Year
2022
Research_Pages
4485-4490
Research Abstract

introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the phonatory function of recovered COVID-19 survivors. The universal outbreak

of COVID-19 led to the occurrence of otolaryngological manifestations that raised concerns about the assessment of the

phonatory function in recovering patients.

Methods :This is a prospective, cross-sectional, case-controlled study carried out on 364 laboratory-confirmed non-critical

COVID-19 survivors and 100 as healthy controls. The study participants were classified into two groups according to the

disease severity. Group1 comprised 212 survivors who recovered from pneumonia and group 2 was made up of 152 survivors

of severe pneumonia. All patients were subjected to an auditory perceptual assessment of the voice (APA) and Maximum

Phonation Time (MPT) measurements.

Results: Phonasthenic manifestations were significantly more frequent in COVID-19 survivors than in controls (P < 0.000)

with a higher percentage recorded among severe pneumonia survivors (87.5%) than among pneumonia survivors (60.8%)

with a P value of < 0.01. Dysphonia and excessively soft loudness were significantly more common among survivors than

among controls (P < 0.002 and P < 0.000, respectively) with no significant difference between the patient groups. The MPT

was significantly shorter among survivors than among controls (P < 0.000). The mean MPT was 15.97 s in the control group,

10.72 s in the pneumonia group, and 8.88 s in the severe pneumonia group, with the differences between the groups being

statistically significant (P < 0.000), suggesting a higher impairment of lung volume and phonatory function in severe cases.

Conclusions :Phonasthenia, dysphonia, and decreased MPT could be otolaryngological manifestations of COVID-19. Laryngeal

function assessment should be considered in COVID-19 survivors.