A major UK study to investigate the possible long-term impact of COVID-19 on hearing, led by researchers at NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).
The one-year study will be co-led by Professor Kevin Munro, Manchester BRC Hearing Health Lead and Professor of Audiology at the University of Manchester, and will investigate the long-term impact of COVID-19 on hearing among people who have been previously treated in hospital for the virus.
Manchester BRC bridges the gap between new discoveries and individualised care through pioneering research. The BRC’s Hearing Health Theme is improving adults’ and children’s lives by preventing potentially devastating congenital deafness, diagnosing acquired age-related hearing deficits, and developing new treatments.
This research aims to accurately estimate the number and severity of COVID-19 related hearing disorders in the UK, discover what parts of the auditory system might be affected, and explore the association between these and other factors such as lifestyle, the presence of one or more additional conditions (comorbidities) and critical care interventions.
Detailed hearing tests will be carried out by researchers in over 100 patients previously hospitalised with COVID-19 and compared to a control group of people once hospitalised for other conditions not thought to affect hearing. Professor Chris Plack, Manchester BRC Paediatric Diagnosis Associate Lead who will co-lead the study, said: “The research will be conducted in our bespoke hearing research van, with state-of-the-art facilities that conform to clinical standards for COVID-19. With this ability, we are uniquely placed to take this important research out on the road to make taking part as easy as possible.”
The study is funded by RNID, The Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust (DCEPT) and The University of Manchester.
