Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Vocal Characteristics in Patients with the New Coronavirus Disease 2019

Abstract

Introduction: Due to the upper and lower respiratory involvement in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the voice quality of these patients is expected to be impaired. In this study, we aimed to conduct an auditory-perceptual evaluation of the vocal characteristics of patients with different severities of COVID-19. Methods: One hundred two patients with mild, moderate, or severe COVID-19 as well as 30 healthy individuals were recruited to compare their respiratory/phonatory parameters. The Persian version of the CAPE-V and GRBAS scales, along with the maximum phonation time and s/z ratio values were used to evaluate the severity of respiratory/phonatory disorders during verbal tasks in the participants. Results: Significant differences were found between the subgroups of patients and their healthy counterparts in all respiratory/phonatory parameters (p ≤ 0.03) except the s/z ratio (p = 0.81). Conclusions: Based on auditory-perceptual assessments, patients with COVID-19 showed dysphonia. The severity of dysphonia was significantly different among patients with different severities of COVID-19. Smoking can also play a significant role in vocal dysfunction in COVID-19 patients.