Sudden sensorineural hearing loss and COVID-19: (commentary on “Could sudden sensorineural hearing loss be the sole manifestation of COVID-19? An investigation into SARS-COV-2 in the etiology of sudden sensorineural hearing loss” by Osman Kilic, Mahmut Tayyar Kalcioglu, Yasemin Cag, Ozan Tuysuz, Emel Pektas, Hulya Caskurlu, and Ferihan Cetın)

We read with great interest the original and interesting article by Kilic et al. (2020) concerning the possibility that sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) could be a non-specific symptom of COVID-19. Although we certainly consider it a challenging study, we would like to comment on some aspects. In their study, Kilic et al. enrolled five male patients with unilateral SSNHL and evaluated them for SARS-CoV-2 infection using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. They reported that only one participant was positive by real-time PCR testing, and they noted a positive response to COVID-19-specific treatment in this positive patient.