Clinical Profile and Outcome Analysis of Ear-Nose-Throat Symptoms in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariant Infections

Yixuan Liu; Xiaoling Huang; Peifan Li; Di Wang; Haoning Yin; Na Wang; Yan Luo; Huawei Li; Shan Sun

doi:10.3389/ijph.2023.1606403

Clinical Profile and Outcome Analysis of Ear-Nose-Throat Symptoms in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariant Infections

Int J Public Health. 2023 Oct 10:68:1606403. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1606403. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Yixuan Liu^#^{1

2

3}, Xiaoling Huang^#⁴, Peifan Li^#^{1

2

3}, Di Wang^#^{1

5}, Haoning Yin⁶, Na Wang⁷, Yan Luo⁸, Huawei Li^{1

2

3

4

9}, Shan Sun^{1

2

3

5}

Affiliations

¹ Scientific Research Division, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai, China.
² Otolaryngology Research Institute, Eye & ENT Hospital, Shanghai, China.
³ NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Affiliated, Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
⁵ Clinical Research Unit of Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
⁶ No. 2 High School of East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
⁷ School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
⁸ Medical Dean's Reception Office, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
⁹ State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of ear-nose-throat (ENT) symptoms in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infected patients resulting from local transmission. Methods: A convenience sampling network survey was conducted among individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 to examine the characteristics and progression of ENT symptoms associated with local transmission. The survey comprised 52 questions, and univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to assess the rate, severity, and outcome of ENT symptoms across different genders and age groups. Results: Among the 1,366 individuals included in the investigation, a peak in new infections occurred on 20th December, and the majority (78.4%) were female. The most common symptoms reported were coughing (90.6%), nasal congestion (77.2%), and runny nose (74.3%). Otologic symptoms were predominantly represented by tinnitus (29.7%). Conclusion: The rate of specific symptoms showed a significant correlation with age and gender. It is crucial to provide timely medical intervention, especially for female patients. This study offers a comprehensive understanding of the symptom spectrum in individuals infected with the virus, providing valuable insights for the development of targeted symptom management strategies.

Keywords: COVID-19; ENT; cross-sectional study; network survey; symptomatic rate.

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Cough / etiology
Female
Humans
Male
Pharynx
SARS-CoV-2
Surveys and Questionnaires

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 81970879, 82371146, 82192862, and 82192860), the Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (STCSM) Science and Technology Innovation Program (20MC1920200) and Research Projects of Shanghai Municipal Health Committee (2020YJZX0110 and 2022XD059).