Increased Incidence of Ulcerative Laryngitis During Spring 2022 Omicron-Variant Wave of COVID19.
Yassmeen Abdel-Aty, Lucian Sulica
PMID 37156683WHAT IT FOUND
Four vocal performers developed ulcerative laryngitis in spring 2022, a spike the authors link to the omicron wave.
They recovered faster than a previous group, likely because they sought help sooner. This does not prove any specific treatment works.
Key findings
01Four patients presented with ulcerative laryngitis in April and May 2022, all of whom were vocal performers.
02Symptoms resolved in an average of 34 days for the 2022 group, compared to 50 days for a historical group from 2017 to 2022.
03The authors suggest earlier presentation and prompt treatment explain the shorter recovery time, but cannot prove treatment efficacy due to the small sample size.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is a case series with only four patients in the recent group and ten in the comparison group, making it very low certainty evidence. The comparison group spans five years, introducing potential variability in clinical practice or patient demographics over time. One patient from the 2022 group was lost to follow-up, so their full clinical course is unknown. The study is retrospective, relying on data collected for clinical care rather than research purposes. The statistical analysis showed no significant difference in yearly incidence, despite the authors' observation of a spike in monthly incidence during the omicron wave. It is impossible to separate the effect of early presentation from the effect of the treatments given.
Declared interests
The authors declare no funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that steroids or voice rest caused the faster recovery. The patients in the recent group sought help much sooner (15 days vs 78 days) than the comparison group, so their shorter recovery time may simply reflect earlier treatment of a less severe injury, not the efficacy of the specific medications used.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →