14.8% of infected people suffer tinnitus, 7.6% experience hearing loss Professor: ‘That’s something we should take very seriously’ LONDON: Hearing loss and other auditory problems could be linked to COVID-19, new research suggests. Scientists from the University of Manchester and the Manchester Biomedical Research Centre found that 7.6 percent of people infected with COVID-19 experience hearing loss, while 14.8 percent suffer tinnitus — the experience of hearing ringing noises in one or both ears. The researchers also found that vertigo — a feeling of dizziness and loss of balance — was prevalent in 7.2 percent of COVID-19 cases. They gathered information from 24 studies that specified a link with COVID-19 and listening and problems with the vestibular system, which is parts of the inner ear and brain that process information related to balance and eye movements. “If it is correct that something between 7 percent and 15 percent is having these symptoms, that’s something we should take very seriously,” Prof. Kevin Munro, director of the Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, told Sky News. “There are big implications for clinical services if this means there could be a big increase in the number of people coming forward.” Links between hearing problems and other viruses — including measles, mumps and meningitis — are common as they damage sensory cells in the inner ear. It is not known why COVID-19 can cause these issues, and researchers believe a wide variety of people have been affected. “There are some people who say the symptoms are ongoing. There are others who say it seems to have settled down a bit so there are lots of unknowns right now,” Munro said. The scientists in Manchester are conducting further analysis that they hope will give a more accurate assessment of both the severity and number of coronavirus-related hearing disorders in Britain.