Cochlear implant failure following COVID 19: Report of two cases.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hearing loss is a relatively newly reported symptom of novel strain of coronavirus (COVID-19). Cochlear implant is an effective therapeutic method for patients with severe to profound hearing loss. CASE REPORT We describe two cochlear implanted children with the sole presenting symptom of a sudden speech perception problem. They not suspected to have COVID-19 until they showed respiratory symptoms on the first week of admission. CONCLUSION: The current report indicates the importance of COVID-19 screening in hearing impaired patients (including cochlear implanted recipients) presented with sudden or gradual deterioration of speech intelligibility during the pandemic.