United States: The researchers have been discovering new threats and side-effects of COVID-19 infection with each passing day. Now, the health experts have linked the relation between the virus and it living in the ear of the infected person.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, the virus causing the COVID-19 infection, can live in the middle ear of an infected person for at least a month post-infection. The study was published in the American Journal of Otolaryngology.
The researchers who worked on the study mentioned that the study has helped in finding that there is a potential association between the COVID-19 virus and patients developing Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) after a bout of Omicron, according to IANS.
What exactly is OME?
As per the health authorities, OME is a collection of fluid – found in the middle ear of a human being. The fluid is either sticky or thick. During health conditions, including cold, sore throat, or upper respiratory infections, the fluid can accumulate in the eardrum, resulting in temporary hearing impairment.
The problem is generally seen among children aged between three to seven (3 to 7) years.
Comments by experts!
Wuxi Huishan District People’s Hospital in China – Chengzhou Han, who was involved in the study, while addressing the matter, stated that the virus does rest on the middle ear. “Our study highlights the potential effects of COVID-19 on the middle ear, suggesting a link between SARS-CoV-2 and OME onset,” she was quoted saying, according to the reports by IANS.
Han further added, “The virus, a significant contributor to OME, is detectable in the middle ear nearly a month post-Omicron infection, indicating a potential alteration in OME treatment strategies and a risk of recurrence, emphasizing the necessity for otolaryngologist vigilance.”
According to the researchers, the study was conducted in 2023 between January and June. It included around 23 patients aged between 32 and 84 years. It is to be noted that all people were exhibiting OME post-Omicron infection, and out of the total, 21 were experiencing unilateral symptoms.
The studies have concluded that the fluid accumulation in the ear was increased up to 88 percent, and the SARS-CoV-2 virus was found among the 12 percent of the samples, with cycle threshold values ranging between 25.65 and 33.30.
While addressing the same, the researcher stated, “Our research unveils compelling evidence pointing to the potential otological manifestation of OME in the aftermath of a COVID-19 infection. These findings underscore a conceivable link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the emergence of OME, emphasizing the diverse implications of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”