Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of otitis media with effusion in adults and children: a multicenter study

Giannicola Iannella,Valentina Monticone,Andrea De Vito,Salvatore Cocuzza,Andrea Ciorba,Alessandro Milani,Antonino Maniaci,Giuseppe Meccariello,Massimo Ralli,Serena Bertin,Giovanni Cammaroto,Pier Carlo Frasconi,Tiziano Perrone,Annalisa Pace,Jérôme R Lechien ,Vincenzo Savastano,Antonio Greco,Giuseppe Magliulo,S Ferlito ,Stefano Pelucchi,Marco De Vincentiis,Chiara Martone,Roberta Polimeni,Claudio Vicini

doi:10.1007/s00405-021-06958-4

Abstract

PurposeTo compare and analyze the incidence of otitis media with effusion (OME), before and during the COVID-19-related pandemic period, to evaluate the effects of the social changes (lockdown, continuous use of facial masks, social distancing, reduction of social activities) in the OME incidence in children and adults.MethodsThe number of diagnosed OME in e five referral centers, between 1 March 2018 and 1 March 2021, has been reviewed and collected. To estimate the reduction of OME incidence in children and adults during the COVID-19 pandemic period the OME incidence in three period of time were evaluated and compared: group 1—patients with OME diagnosis achieved between 1/03/2018 and 01/03/2019 (not pandemic period). Group 2—patients with OME diagnosis achieved between 1/03/2019 and 1/03/2020 (not pandemic period). Group 3—patients with OME diagnosis achieved between 1/03/2020 and 1/03/2021 (COVID-19 pandemic period).ResultsIn the non-pandemic periods (group 1 and 2), the incidence of OME in the five referral centers considered was similar, with 482 and 555 diagnosed cases, respectively. In contrast, the OME incidence in the same centers, during the pandemic period (group 3) was clearly reduced with a lower total number of 177 cases of OME estimated. Percentage variation in OME incidence between the first non-pandemic year considered (group 1) and the pandemic period (group 3) was—63, 3%, with an absolute value decrease value of—305 cases. Similarly, comparing the second non-pandemic year (group 2) and the pandemic year (group 3) the percentage variation of OME incidence was—68, 1% with an absolute value of—305 cases decreased.ConclusionsOur findings showed a lower incidence of OME during the pandemic period compared with 2 previous non pandemic years. The drastic restrictive anti-contagion measures taken by the Italian government to contain the spread of COVID-19 could have had a positive impact on the lower OME incidence during the last pandemic year.

Highlights

Materials and methodsOtitis media with effusion (OME) is defined as the presence of non-infected fluid in the middle ear cavity, without signs or symptoms of an acute ear infection
This time frame included the new diagnoses of otitis media with effusion (OME) made in the 2 years before the COVID-19 spread and the ones made in the year of the COVID-19 pandemic
To estimate the reduction of OME incidence in children and adults during the COVID-19 pandemic period all patients initially enrolled were divided into three groups according to the following time span:

Summary

Introduction

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is defined as the presence of non-infected fluid in the middle ear cavity, without signs or symptoms of an acute ear infection. This condition is characterized by conductive hearing loss, ear fullness and occasionally by pain from pressure difference between the nasopharynx and middle ear [1, 2]. Long periods of lockdown and facial masks, have been carried out in different countries around the world to limit the infection spread [8,9,10,11,12]

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