A Study on Otorhinolaryngological Presentations in Covid 19 Patients in a Tertiary Health Care Center

Corona virus also known as 2019 novel corona virus, a single stranded positive sense RNA virus is the causative agent of COVID 19 disease. It mainly spreads via the respiratory route by means of aerosols. The objectives of our study were. To know the prevalence of ENT presentations in COVID 19 patients and to know the relationship between the symptoms and category of the disease as well as to know the relation between the blood group and recovery from the disease. The first 500 patients who were tested positive for COVID 19 and getting treated in our hospital were included in the study after taking written informed consent from the patients who were willing to participate in the study. A detailed history was taken from all the patients and more stress was given on the ENT symptoms with respect to its onset, duration and time taken for the relief of symptoms. The ENT symptoms were compared with the category of the disease as well as the blood group of the patients. Statistical analysis was done using Chi square test and Statistical Package for Social Sciences [SPSS] for Windows Version 22.0 Released 2013. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp., was used to perform statistical analyses. In our study 310 (62.0%) were males and 190 (38.0%) patients were females (38%), of age group ranging from 2 years to 87 years. In our study 367 (73.3%) patients were symptomatic and the rest 133 (26.6%) were asymptomatic. There were 335 (67.0%) patients in category A, 140 (28.0%) in category B and 25 (5.0%) in category C. The most common ENT presentation was headache and its prevelance was more in category C and it was of statistical significance. On comparing the blood group and the ENT symptoms occurrence of sore throat was of statistical significance and its prevelance was more among the O blood group patients. In terms of recovery from the disease the patients with blood group O had good recovery rate. Covid 19 pandemic is still an on going problem and newer strains of the virus are arising as well hence. In our study we found out that isolated ENT symptoms such as aguesia and anosmia were the only presentation of the disease. Thus they can be considered as early marker of the disease and it will be helpful in early detection and isolation of the patient as well as prevention of further spread of the disease.

Automated summary

The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of ENT symptoms in COVID-19 patients and the relationship between symptoms, disease category, and blood group. Headache was the most common ENT presentation, with associations found with disease severity and specific blood groups.