Effects of COVID-19 on children with otitis media with effusion

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic in March 2020 due to its rapid spread around the world, beginning in early 2020. It has been reported that the incidence of acute otitis media and otitis media with effusion in children has decreased significantly. To evaluate the impact of COVID-19 in case of otitis media with effusion, pediatric cases of ventilation tube placement for the treatment of otitis media with effusion, between April 2019 and March 2020, were retrospectively reviewed.

The number of patients who underwent ventilation tube placement decreased from 106 to 63 (59.4%) when comparing pre-COVID-19 period (April 2019 to March 2020) to the post-COVID-19 period (April 2020 to March 2021). Among these, the number of cases with cleft palate remained almost unchanged (from 33 to 31). The number of patients who underwent ventilation tube placement except for cases with cleft palate decreased significantly, from 73 to 32 (43.8%). In the post-COVID-19 period, the number of young patients, other than cleft palate, significantly decreased. The median age at surgery increased from 4 to 5 years.

Although preventive measures against COVID-19 and avoidance of visits to medical institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the decrease in the number of ventilation tube placement, COVID-19 infection control seems to have had a significant impact on children with otitis media with effusion. On the other hand, the impact of COVID-19 on otitis media with effusion cases with cleft palate was lower, suggesting that the involvement of infection as a factor in the development and prolongation of otitis media with effusion could be limited and that the involvement of Eustachian tube dysfunction is more likely.