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Symptoms such as imbalance, dizziness, and tinnitus can occur both after contracting Covid-19 and during an infection. What's more, they can also signal infection, so researchers emphasize to pay attention to them in people who may have been exposed to Covid-19 patients. The coronavirus infects the inner ear, which - as the latest research shows - is another organ susceptible to this virus.
Hearing loss after Covid-19 is one of the known complications of coronavirus infection. Now researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear have looked at other symptoms that may be associated with hearing, including tinnitus, dizziness, and imbalance, looking at what happens when a virus attacks the inner ear.
In a study published in Communications Medicine, scientists analyzed cell models of the human inner ear (developed for this experiment) and inner ear tissue obtained from adults infected with SARS-CoV-2, as well as from mice in which Based on in vitro models.
The study included 10 adults who tested positive for Covid-19 and developed symptoms such as hearing loss, tinnitus, or dizziness within 3 weeks of diagnosis.
Researchers have found that both in human tissue of the inner ear and in tissue taken from mice, there are receptors that, like the ACE2 receptor, allow the virus to enter cells. They also found thatSARS-CoV-2 can infect two types of cells in the inner ear:Schwann cells and hair cells (sensory cells otherwise known as auditory or ciliary cells).
Schwann cells present e.g. in the inner ear, participate in the processes related to hearing, while hair cells are used, among others, for to evaluate and monitor head movements, sense of balance, and also allow orientation.
"Our findings suggest that inner ear infection may be at the root of COVID-19-related hearing and balance problems," the study concludes.
- Research provides very convincing evidence that SARS-CoV-2 infects the inner ear and may be the causehearing problems and imbalances that many Covid-19 patients experience, commented Dr. Yuri Agrawal, professor of otolaryngology at the John's Hopkins School of Medicine.
The neurological symptoms of Covid-19- including dizziness, tinnitus, hearing loss, and imbalance - are less common than nervous system symptoms. However, experts conducting this study believe that it should be paid attention to not only in people who have tested positive for Covid-19. These symptoms may also appear at the initial stage of infection - even before the patient is referred for the test.