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J Am Acad Audiol 2022; 33(02): 098-104
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1736577
Research Article

COVID-19 and Deafness: Impact of Face Masks on Speech Perception

Margherita Tofanelli    *
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Cattinara Hospital, Trieste, Italy
,
Vincenzo Capriotti    *
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Cattinara Hospital, Trieste, Italy
,
Annalisa Gatto
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Cattinara Hospital, Trieste, Italy
,
Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo 
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Cattinara Hospital, Trieste, Italy
,
Serena Rizzo
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Cattinara Hospital, Trieste, Italy
,
Giancarlo Tirelli 
1   Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Cattinara Hospital, Trieste, Italy
› Author Affiliations Funding This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors
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Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has made wearing face masks a common habit in public places. Several reports have underlined the increased difficulties encountered by deaf people in speech comprehension, resulting in a higher risk of social isolation and psychological distress.

Purpose To address the detrimental effect of different types of face masks on speech perception, according to the listener hearing level and background noise.

Research Design Quasi-experimental cross-sectional study.

Study Sample Thirty patients were assessed: 16 with normal hearing [NH], and 14 hearing-impaired [HI] with moderate hearing loss.

Data Collection and Analysis A speech perception test (TAUV) was administered by an operator trained to speak at 65 dB, without a face mask, with a surgical mask, and with a KN95/FFP2 face mask, in a quiet and in a noisy environment (cocktail party noise, 55 dB). The Hearing Handicap Index for Adults (HHI-A) was administered twice, asking subjects to complete it for the period before and after the pandemic outburst. A 2-way repeated-measure analysis of variance was performed.

Results The NH group showed a significant difference between the no-mask and the KN95/FFP2-mask condition in noise (p = 0.01). The HI group showed significant differences for surgical or KN95/FFP2 mask compared with no-mask, and for KN95/FFP2 compared with surgical mask, in quiet and in noise (p < 0.001). An increase in HHI-A scores was recorded for the HI patients (p < 0.001).

Conclusion Face masks have a detrimental effect on speech perception especially for HI patients, potentially worsening their hearing-related quality of life.

Keywords

COVID-19 - SARS-CoV-2 - mask - communication - hearing - deafness

Disclaimer

Any mention of a product, service, or procedure in the Journal of the American Academy of Audiology does not constitute an endorsement of the product, service, or procedure by the American Academy of Audiology.


* Margherita Tofanelli and Vincenzo Capriotti share first co-authorship.




Publication History

Received: 13 February 2021

Accepted: 14 September 2021

Article published online:
05 May 2022

© 2021. American Academy of Audiology. This article is published by Thieme.

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