Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Jul 2020
ReviewDefining Essential Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
COVID-19 is a rapidly growing global pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus. With no vaccine or definitive treatment, public health authorities have recommended a strategy of "social distancing," reducing individual interaction, canceling elective procedures, and limiting nonessential services. ⋯ In this article, we describe the experience of a quaternary referral pediatric hospital in Seattle, the epicenter of COVID-19 in the United States, and share strategies for risk minimization employed by Seattle Children's Hospital. We hope that this work can be a reference for other centers continuing care for children who are deaf and hard of hearing during the COVID-19 and future resource-limiting crises.
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Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Jul 2020
ReviewAnosmia and the Need for COVID-19 Screening during the Pandemic.
In this commentary, we briefly summarize the available data from Iran and other countries on the sudden increase in anosmia, hyposmia, and hypogeusia that has coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. Alarmingly, a high proportion of patients with severe COVID-19 had isolated anosmia as the sole initial presenting symptom, which is likely due to the direct neuropathic effect of the virus rather than being secondary to nasal congestion and obstruction. Since isolated anosmia is not yet considered a prerequisite for screening for COVID-19, we wish to raise awareness on the association of anosmia with COVID-19, urging international and national health authorities to consider this association in their efforts for early detection and isolation of infected individuals and for breaking the chain of transmission. We urge our colleagues who assess patients with new-onset anosmia to strictly adhere to the safety guidelines to reduce the risk of exposure and infection during this nascent pandemic.
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Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · Jul 2020
ReviewOlfactory Dysfunction: A Highly Prevalent Symptom of COVID-19 With Public Health Significance.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic affecting millions of individuals, killing hundreds of thousands. Although typically described with characteristic symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath, greater understanding of COVID-19 has revealed myriad clinical manifestations. Olfactory dysfunction (OD)-hyposmia and anosmia-has recently been recognized as an important symptom of COVID-19 and increasingly gained traction as a public health tool for identifying COVID-19 patients, in particular otherwise asymptomatic carriers who, unawares, may be major drivers of disease spread. The objective of this study is to review the scientific evidence about anosmia in COVID-19. ⋯ Sudden anosmia should be considered a symptom of COVID-19. Assessing for sudden-onset anosmia may increase sensitivity of COVID-19 screening strategies, in particular for identifying patients at the earliest stages of disease. Since many cases of OD due to COVID-19 may resolve in the short term, conservative management, including observation, is reasonable, while advanced imaging is unnecessary.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has created a number of considerations for otolaryngology; anosmia and ageusia in particular have gained significant attention. Here we present considerations in regard to treatment with quinine-derived drugs and the influence of masks on communication.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought to light significant health inequities that have existed in our society for decades. Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and immigrants are the populations most likely to experience disparities related to burden of disease, health care, and health outcomes. Increasingly, national and state statistics on COVID-19 report disproportionately higher mortality rates in blacks. There has never been a more pressing time for us to enact progressive and far-reaching changes in social, economic, and political policies that will shape programs aimed at improving the health of all people living in the United States.