Singing Voice Symptomatology Following Presumed SARS-CoV-2 Infection.
Sophia Dove, Leryn Turlington, Kate Elmendorf and 3 others
PMID 36470824WHAT IT FOUND
Singers who had severe acute COVID-19 were over five times more likely to report a change in singing ability than those with mild infection.
Many reported reduced vocal stamina, with fewer able to sing for an hour or more after infection.
Key findings
01Participants with severe acute COVID-19 symptoms had a 5.21 increased odds of reporting a change or reduction in their singing ability compared to those with mild symptoms.
02After infection, 6.8% of respondents were unable to sing longer than 15 minutes, and only 32.1% could sing for an hour or more.
03The most common lingering symptoms were fatigue (62.8%), shortness of breath (40.8%), and brain fog (32.8%).
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 cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if voice changes are acute or ongoing. Recall bias is a significant limitation, as many participants were surveyed more than a year after their infection. Sampling bias exists because singers with lingering symptoms may have been more motivated to participate. The survey did not define terms like 'breath support', which may have led to inconsistent responses. The study did not ask when singers returned to normal activities, so it cannot inform return-to-singing timelines.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that all singers with a history of SARS-CoV-2 will experience long-term voice changes. The study found that only severity of acute infection was a significant predictor, and many respondents reported being fully recovered. The high rate of lingering symptoms in this sample likely reflects selection bias, as those with problems were more motivated to complete the survey.