The Impact of COVID-19 on Universal Newborn Hearing Screening

Objectives: To report the direct and indirect impact of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening program of our institution (Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Sassari). Design: Monocentric retrospective study whose target population included all the newborns born in or referred to our hospital in 2019 and 2020. Results: There is no statistically significant difference in time to retest or loss to follow-up rate between the 2 years considered (2019 to 2020). Referral rate is not higher for newborns born to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 polymerase chain reaction positive mothers. Conclusions: In relation to the analyzed variables, coronavirus disease 2019 seems to have a limited impact on our screening program. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 did not behave as an audiological risk factor in our series.

Automated summary

Based on our study, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has limited impact on our Universal Newborn Hearing Screening program. There was no significant difference in the variables analyzed, and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 was not identified as an audiological risk factor in our series.