Audio-Vestibular Profile of COVID-19; Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Introduction: after more than a year of the covid-19 pandemic, audio-vestibular problems have been reported as consequences. several limited case report studies with different methodologies were published. this study aimed to describe the impact of covid-19 on the auditory-vestibular system and communication problems in subjects with hearing impairment. materials and methods: the current systematic review was performed based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (prisma) guideline. pubmed, web of science, and google scholar were searched to find relevant articles using combined keywords. results: out of 26 final studies, 20 studies dealt with the effects of covid-19 on the auditory and vestibular system, and six articles examined the covid-19 effects on hearing-impaired people and patients. in these studies, dizziness (17.8%), tinnitus (8.1%), and vertigo (2.8%) were common symptoms. most studies were case reports (42.30%), and in terms of quality, nine studies (34.61%) were in the suitable quality group. conclusions: covid-19 might cause auditory-vestibular system problems by directly affecting the structures or functions of the inner ear or by weakening the immune system. the need for taking preventive measures during the covid-19 pandemic has caused communication and social challenges, particularly for people with hearing loss.