Prevalence of Dysphonia in Non hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in Lombardy, the Italian Epicenter of the Pandemic.
Giovanna Cantarella, Mirko Aldè, Dario Consonni and 7 others
PMID 33766419WHAT IT FOUND
Nearly half of non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients reported voice problems.
For many, this lasted over two weeks. Voice fatigue was common and often occurred without obvious hoarseness. Dysphagia affected one in six patients. These symptoms were self-reported and not objectively tested.
Key findings
01Dysphonia was reported by 43.7% of patients, with severity mostly mild to moderate and duration exceeding two weeks in 44.1% of those affected.
02Voice fatigue affected 26.9% of the total cohort and was significantly more frequent and severe in patients who also reported dysphonia.
03Dysphagia was reported by 16.9% of patients and was associated with cough, arthralgia, taste dysfunction, myalgia, and loss of appetite.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Symptoms were self-reported via telephone interview and not objectively evaluated (e.g., no laryngoscopy or swallow study). The study relied on patient memory within three days of discharge. The high prevalence of female participants (69%) is unexplained and may affect generalizability. Data were collected during a specific regional outbreak, which may not reflect other populations.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these voice and swallowing problems are objectively verified. The study relied on patient reports via phone, so actual prevalence of clinically significant impairment may differ from these self-reported rates.