The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Otitis Media
Soo-Young Choi,
Dong-Keon Yon,
Yong-Sung Choi,
Jinseok Lee,
Ki-Ho Park,
Young-Ju Lee,
Sung-Soo Kim,
Sang-Hoon Kim,
Seung-Geun Yeo
Affiliations
Soo-Young Choi
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea
Dong-Keon Yon
Center for Digital Health, Medical Science Research Institute, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea
Yong-Sung Choi
Department of Pediatrics, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea
Jinseok Lee
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin 17104, Korea
Ki-Ho Park
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea
Young-Ju Lee
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea
Sung-Soo Kim
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
Sang-Hoon Kim
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea
Seung-Geun Yeo
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea
Otitis media is one of the most common diseases in children, with 80% of children experiencing it by the age of three years. Therefore, the resulting social burden is enormous. In addition, many countries still suffer from complications due to otitis media. Meanwhile, COVID-19 has affected many diseases, with otitis media being one of the most strongly affected. This review aims to find out how COVID-19 has affected otitis media and its significance. A series of measures brought about by COVID-19, including emphasis on personal hygiene and social distancing, had many unexpected positive effects on otitis media. These can be broadly classified into four categories: first, the incidence of otitis media was drastically reduced. Second, antibiotic prescriptions for otitis media decreased. Third, the incidence of complications of otitis media was reduced. Fourth, the number of patients visiting the emergency room due to otitis media decreased. The quarantine measures put in place due to COVID-19 suppressed the onset and exacerbation of otitis media. This has great implications for the treatment and prevention of otitis media.
