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Voice in the Times of the COVID- 19 Pandemic
The pandemic of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) affected the modern world in a way never seen before. After an initial phase of disbelief, we all have been affected, some personally with irreparable losses, others collectively, with difficulties maintaining professional activities and ensuring a dignified survival. There are almost 4.5 million dead, more than 200 million infected as of August 2021 (1); and the pandemic is still not over. Global markets have been shaken, and the impact on commerce, industry, employment, and income has been profound. The global economy will suffer years before it recovers.
The human voice also was affected profoundly. Artistic voice professionals had their events cancelled, and thousands of support professionals in the productions were left unemployed. Visits to teachers of singing and voice health providers were reduced to voice emergencies. Clinical voice evaluation through laryngoscopy, as well as the acoustic and aerodynamic measurements, are tasks that potentially disseminate viruses by aerosols or droplets and were restricted to severe cases or modified to reduce the risk of infection.
The Effect of Online Teaching on Vocal Health Among Saudi Teachers During COVID-19 Pandemic
The goal of this study is to determine how online education affects the vocal health of schoolteachers in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. Teachers' phono trauma is well-known as a serious occupational hazard, and online education was the primary mode of delivering instruction to students during COVID-19.Patient Satisfaction with Virtual vs In-Person Voice Therapy
To determine whether there is a difference in patient satisfaction between in-person and virtual voice therapy.Relationship Between Room Acoustics With Voice Symptoms and Voice-Related Quality of Life Among Colombian School and College Teachers During Online Classes in Times of COVID-19 Pandemic
To determine the relationship between working conditions, especially room acoustics, with voice symptoms and voice-related quality of life among Colombian school and college teachers during online classes in times of COVID-19 pandemic.Vocal Fold Paralysis Following COVID-19 Vaccination: Query of VAERS Database
Vocal fold paresis or paralysis (VFP) may severely affect quality of life due to dysphonia and respiratory distress. As an increasing percentage of the United States population receives the COVID-19 vaccination, the objective of this study is to determine the correlation of COVID-19 postvaccination recurrent laryngeal neuropathy and resulting VFP.The Impact of Masking Habits on Voice in a Sub-population of Healthcare Workers
To evaluate the impact of face masks on voice in a sub-population of healthcare workers, namely residents, medical students, and nurses, during the COVID-19 era.Developing Educational Health Modules to Improve Vocal Wellness in Mask-Wearing Occupational Voice Users
To develop educational modules to improve vocal wellness and optimize communication in mask-wearing occupational voice users.Aerosol Dispersion During Different Phonatory Tasks in Amateur Singers
Due to increased aerosol generation during singing, choir rehearsals were widely prohibited in the course of the CoVID-19 pandemic. Most studies on aerosol generation and dispersion focus on professional singers. However, it has not been clarified if these data are also representative for amateur singers.The Effect of Masks and Respirators on Acoustic Voice Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic
World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness and reliability of voice analysis performed with surgical masks and respirators during the pandemic and to discuss its routine applicability.Reopening the Bavarian State Opera Safely: Hygiene Strategies and Incidence of COVID-19 in Artistic Staff During Theater Season 2020/2021
Due to the drastically rising coronavirus disease (COVID-19) incidence since March 2020, social life was shut down across the globe, and most opera houses were closed. As a result, there are limited data on SARS-CoV-2 infections among artists. The Bavarian State Opera has been reopened in September 2020. This study aimed to identify the incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among employees in the Bavarian State Opera. In addition, the various hygiene strategies for the work groups within the institution are described.Machine Learning-based Voice Assessment for the Detection of Positive and Recovered COVID-19 Patients
Many virological tests have been implemented during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for diagnostic purposes, but they appear unsuitable for screening purposes. Furthermore, current screening strategies are not accurate enough to effectively curb the spread of the disease. Therefore, the present study was conducted within a controlled clinical environment to determine eventual detectable variations in the voice of COVID-19 patients, recovered and healthy subjects, and also to determine whether machine learning-based voice assessment (MLVA) can accurately discriminate between them, thus potentially serving as a more effective mass-screening tool.Voice Quality and Vocal Tract Discomfort Symptoms in Patients With COVID-19
Dysphonia and laryngeal problems are some of the manifestations of the COVID-19 pandemic due to respiratory disease as a primary effect of COVID-19. The aim of the present study was to investigate voice quality and vocal tract discomfort symptoms in patients with COVID-19.Effect of Face Mask on Voice Production During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing global pandemic and wearing face mask is recommended across the globe to break the transmission chain of infection. The masks available in the market are of different types and materials and tend to alter the voice characteristics of the speaker. This can therefore impair optimal communication and the present study is a systematic review exploring the effect of various masks on voice production parameters.The Effect of Singers’ Masks on the Impulse Dispersion of Aerosols During Singing
During the Covid-19 pandemic, singing activities were restricted due to several super-spreading events that have been observed during rehearsals and vocal performances. However, it has not been clarified how the aerosol dispersion, which has been assumed to be the leading transmission factor, could be reduced by masks which are specially designed for singers.Challenges and Opportunities in Deploying COVID-19 Cough AI Systems
What if COVID-19 could be detected by cough and voice sounds? A reliable diagnosis based on cough and voice sounds would provide a fast and convenient way to detect COVID-19 in both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several groups, including OpenSigma with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, AI4 Covid-19 with the University of Oklahoma, COVID-19 Sounds with the University of Cambridge, COUGHVID with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, and Saama AI research, and Wadhwani AI with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, have successfully isolated acoustic patterns characteristic of COVID-19 with smartphone-recorded voluntary cough and voice samples using artificial intelligence (AI).COVID-19 and Remote Learning: Predictive Factors of Perceived Improvement or Worsening of the Voice in Brazilian Teachers
Given the transformations in teaching modalities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with vocal self-perception during the pandemic and to investigate the ability of selected variables to predict changes in vocal self-perception in teachers with professional vocal demands during the investigated period.Can Resident Auditory-Perceptual Voice Assessments Predict Medical Urgency of Voice Disorders?
Growing reliance on telemedicine has created new triaging challenges. This study investigated how effectively otolaryngology resident auditory-perceptual voice assessments performed via telemedicine determined the need for urgent in-person clinic visits.Self-Perceived Voice Handicap During COVID19 Compulsory Facemask Use: A Comparative Study Between Portuguese and Spanish Speakers
This study investigates self-perceptions of voice-related handicap as a function of facemask use in the general working population during the COVID19 outbreak, using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Each VHI item was answered twice in a row; the first answer referred to the condition of not wearing a facemask (henceforth, the Without condition) and the second to the condition of using a facemask (henceforth, the With condition). VHI scores were collected via Google Forms (Google, Mountain View, California), targeting 2 groups of speakers of different nationalities, Portuguese (n = 261) and Spanish (n = 297).Vocal Signs and Symptoms Related to COVID-19 and Risk Factors for their Persistence
To compare the occurrence of vocal signs and symptoms before, during, and after coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and analyze possible risk factors for the persistence of these signs and symptoms after disease resolution.Vocal Self-Perception of Singers During COVID-19 Pandemic
Objective: to compare the self-perception of vocal fatigue and use of singing voice during the COVID-19 pandemic between professional and amateur singers and to relate this self-perception with vocal use characteristics during this period. Methodology: Participants were 121 singers divided into professional singers group (PSG) (12 men and 20 women) comprising singers who depended exclusively on singing as a profession and an amateur singers group (ASG) (37 men and 52 women) of singers who did not depend exclusively on singing for their livelihood.Persistent Dysphonia in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
The main objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of persistent dysphonia in hospitalised COVID-19 patients.Adjustment of Health-Care Service Delivery Among Phoniatricians and ENT Specialists During the COVID-19 Pandemic, A UEP Survey
Applying measures that prioritize staff safety, while protecting patient safety and care, represents a challenge during the current pandemic. Many documents of recommendations toward safe practice have been developed for this purpose.The Effects of the Use of Protective Face Mask on the Voice and Its Relation to Self-Perceived Voice Changes
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects that the use of protective face mask has over the voice and to search for associations between the self-reported voice changes and the levels of discomfort experienced by the participants. Also, to detect any change it the phonatory patterns while speaking with face mask.COVID-19: Acoustic Measures of Voice in Individuals Wearing Different Facemasks
The global health pandemic caused by the SARS-coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) has led to the adoption of facemasks as a necessary safety precaution. Depending on the level of risk for exposure to the virus, the facemasks that are used can vary. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of different types of facemasks, typically used by healthcare professionals and the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, on measures of voice.Analysis of COVID-19 Resulting Cough Using Formants and Automatic Speech Recognition System
As part of our contributions to researches on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, we have studied the cough changes to the infected people based on the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) speech recognition classification, formants frequency and pitch analysis. In this paper, An HMM-based cough recognition system was implemented with 5 HMM states, 8 Gaussian Mixture Distributions (GMMs) and 13 dimensions of the basic Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) with 39 dimensions of the overall feature vector.Voice Acoustics and Vocal Effort in Mask-Wearing Healthcare Professionals: A Comparison Pre- and Post-Workday
We evaluated voice acoustics and self-perceptual ratings in healthcare workers required to wear face masks throughout their workday.Effects of Medical Masks on Voice Assessment During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Voice assessment is of great significance to the evaluation of voice quality. Our study aims to explore the effects of medical masks on healthy people in acoustic, aerodynamic and formant parameters during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we also attempted to verify the differences between different sexes and ages.Maintaining Healthy Vocal Use for Teachers During COVID-19 and Beyond
Covid-19 has changed our lives in many aspects, such as in-person gatherings that have abruptly transitioned to virtual meetings in the face of this pandemic. It has been theorized that Covid-19 has accelerated the digital future regarding workplace environment and convenience. For some professionals, this did not have a huge impact. For others, who use their voice and body language to communicate daily, this digital conversion has made a significant difference. For example, some teachers have found a drastic change in their everyday work environment.Sources of Aerosol Dispersion During Singing and Potential Safety Procedures for Singers
With respect to the Covid-19 pandemic, singing is assumed to be associated with a high potential person-to-person transmission. However, it remains unclear how the impulse dispersion varies with different types of articulation, intensity levels of diction, or body position. Furthermore, it has not been understood in detail how to prevent aerosol dispersion during singing.How Face Masks Affect Acoustic and Auditory Perceptual Characteristics of the Singing Voice
Wearing a face mask has been accepted as one of the most effective ways for slowing the spread of COVID-19. Yet information regarding the degree to which masks affect acoustics and perception associated with voice performers is scarce. This study examines these effects with common face masks, namely a neck gaiter, disposable surgical mask, and N95 mask, as well as a novel material that could be used as a mask (acoustic foam). A recorded excerpt from the “Star-Spangled Banner” was played through a miniature speaker placed inside the mouth of a masked manikin.Spontaneous Vocal Fold Polyps Remission after Lockdown for Covid-19 Pandemic: Does Vocal Load Matter?
During the Italian lockdown for Covid-19 emergency, due to stay-at-home orders, many people experienced an unusual period of voice rest. The present case series aims at reporting the spontaneous regression of some vocal fold polyps during the Italian lockdown for SARS-CoV2 pandemic.Prevalence of Dysphonia in Non hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 in Lombardy, the Italian Epicenter of the Pandemic
Dysphonia has been described in patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dysphonia, and its severity and extent, of voice fatigue and of dysphagia in non hospitalized patients affected by COVID-19 in Lombardy, the Italian region most hit by the first explosive outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe.Voice Differences When Wearing and Not Wearing a Surgical Mask
The purpose of our study was to investigate the impact of surgical mask on some vocal parameters such as F0, vocal intensity, jitter, shimmer and harmonics-to-noise ratio in order to understand how surgical mask can affect voice and verbal communication in adults.Are Acoustic Markers of Voice and Speech Signals Affected by Nose-and-Mouth-Covering Respiratory Protective Masks?
Worldwide use of nose-and-mouth-covering respiratory protective mask (RPM) has become ubiquitous during COVID19 pandemic. Consequences of wearing RPMs, especially regarding perception and production of spoken communication, are gradually emerging. The present study explored how three prevalent RPMs affect various speech and voice sound properties.Role of Famotidine and Other Acid Reflux Medications for SARS-CoV-2: A Pilot Study
Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The H-2 blocker famotidine has been suggested as an FDA-approved drug that could potentially be repurposed for treatment of COVID-19. Famotidine has since been shown to improve patient outcomes and reduce symptom severity in patients acutely ill with COVID-19. Other studies have suggested that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) might have an association with COVID-19.World Voice Day 2021
The theme for World Voice Day last year on April 16 was Focus on Your Voice in 2020, a creative play on words bringing to mind perfect 20/20 visual acuity. When this theme was chosen in September 2019, coronavirus and COVID-19 were not in our collective vocabulary, and yet in retrospect the choice of theme does indeed seem visionary.COVID-19: Impact on the Musician and Returning to Singing; A Literature Review
The purpose of this study was to review current literature of the impact of COVID-19 on musicians and returning to singing.Effect of COVID-19 Quarantine on Voice Handicap Index in Female Classical Singers
This study aimed to verify the impact of vocal deviation in the quality of life of classical female singers over the quarantine imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic through self-assessments.High Rate of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Due to Choir Practice in France at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic
To document the case of a high transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 generating a cluster linked to an indoor choir rehearsal hold at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in France.Choir Singers Without Rehearsals and Concerts? A Questionnaire Study on Perceived Losses From Restricting Choral Singing During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Choir singing is an activity that engages individuals all over the world with a broad demographic representation. Both qualitative and quantitative studies have examined the benefits of the activity but very few have examined the effects when someone loses access to it and stops singing.Evaluating the Quality of Rigid Optic Videolaryngoscopy Image Taken Through Dental Protection Cap and Its Feasibility as Additional Barrier Method Against COVID-19
Videolaryngoscopy screening is essential to help assessing human larynx. The use of 70° optical fiber in association with image recording by analog or digital cameras is one of the methods adopted to perform this examination. Endoscopic exams can contaminate the equipment with several microorganisms. The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus reinforces the importance of developing efficient barrier methods to be adopted in videolaryngoscopy procedures. Although dental intraoral camera covers are a barrier method authorized by Brazilian health organs, it has not yet been used in videolaryngoscopy examinations.Vocal Self-Perception of Home Office Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic
To investigate the self-perception of vocal fatigue symptoms and musculoskeletal pain in home office workers before and during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.Respiratory Particle Emission During Voice Assessment and Therapy Tasks in a Single Subject
SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted via respiratory particles. Respiratory particle emission is impacted by manner of breathing and voicing, as well as intersubject variability. Assessment and treatment of voice disorders may include tasks that increase respiratory particle emission beyond typical breathing and speaking. This could increase the risk of disease transmission via respiratory particles.Dysphonia and Vocal Tract Discomfort While Working From Home During COVID-19
During COVID-19, government measures to prevent disease spread included advice to work from home. In addition to occupational risk factors, the increased use of telecommunication and changed work environment may contribute to voice and vocal tract discomfort (VTD). This study established the prevalence, incidence, characteristics and impact of self-perceived dysphonia and VTD in those working from home during COVID-19.In-Person or Virtual? – Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on the Teaching Habits of Voice Pedagogues
The social distancing measures implemented world-wide in the wake of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis have forced voice pedagogues to alter their teaching habits, likely shifting from customary in-person teaching to virtual teaching. An online survey, distributed world-wide in April/May 2020, investigated how singing voice pedagogues were impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The collected responses from 387 survey participants suggest that, overall, voice teachers were only moderately satisfied with having to teach virtually, indicating that virtual voice teaching is not a sufficient replacement for in-person teaching.Voice Quality Evaluation in Patients With COVID-19: An Acoustic Analysis
With the COVID-19 outbreak around the globe and its potential effect on infected patients’ voice, this study set out to evaluate and compare the acoustic parameters of voice between healthy and infected people in an objective manner.Effect of Wearing a Face Mask on Vocal Self-Perception during a Pandemic
To analyze the vocal self-perception of individuals who wore face masks for essential activities and those who wore them for professional and essential activities during the coronavirus disease pandemic.Terapia de voz en el contexto de la pandemia covid-19; recomendaciones para la práctica clínica
Since the beginning of the new pandemic, COVID-19 health services have had to face a new scenario. Voice therapy faces a double challenge, interventions using telepractice, and delivering rehabilitation services to a growing population of patients at risk of functional impairment related to the COVID-19 disease. Moreover, as COVID-19 is transmitted through droplets, it is critical to understand how to mitigate these risks during assessment and treatment.Terapia Vocal No Contexto Da Pandemia Do Covid-19; Orientações Para A Prática Clínica
Since the beginning of the new pandemic, Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) health services have had to face a new scenario. Voice therapy faces a double challenge, interventions using telepractice, and delivering rehabilitation services to a growing population of patients at risk of functional impairment related to the COVID-19 disease. Moreover, as COVID-19 is transmitted through droplets, it is critical to understand how to mitigate these risks during assessment and treatment.Singing and the Pandemic: Return to Performance?
There are hundreds of thousands of people whose living depends upon voice performance. These include not only singers, singing teachers, choir conductors (professional, amateur, university, secondary school, religious organizations, community, and more), actors (stage, film, television, radio) and others, but also all of the backstage staff, administrators, marketing personnel, advertising companies, printers, and many other professionals. Restrictions related to singing and other voice performance due to the COVID-19 pandemic has had enormous professional, financial, and emotional consequences.Songbirds Must Sing: How Artistic Voice Users Perceive Their Voice in Times of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a critical disruption in the music and performing arts industry, and affected singers and other artists. This study was designed to examine the effect of this unique time on artistic voice users, the way they perceive their voice and their voice-related behaviors.COVID-19 After Effects: Concerns for Singers
Many discussions about assessing the risk of COVID-19 center around three possible outcomes: (1) avoiding infection altogether, (2) contracting COVID-19 illness and recovering, and (3) contracting COVID-19 illness and dying. Another outcome must be considered: contracting COVID-19 illness, surviving, and living with its sequelae, or aftereffects.Safer Singing During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: What We Know and What We Don't
While the novel coronavirus outbreak has profoundly altered health care systems across the globe, it has also affected similar change and devastation on the social, educational, and cultural communities upon which many rely, including communities of choral singers, solo performers, conductors, voice teachers, and the professionals that collaborate with them. Even as citizens of the most heavily impacted countries took to their balconies to serenade first responders and health care workers, singers of most genres who typically perform in ensembles have been told to not carry on their beloved practice.Implementation of Telemedicine in a Laryngology Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned, Experiences Shared
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 has posed significant limitations and barriers to providing in-person healthcare. We aim to provide a summary of learned experiences and important considerations for implementing and offering telehealth to provide laryngology subspecialty care during the COVID-19 pandemic and thereafter.The Challenge of Virtual Voice Therapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Voice disorders are a significant public health issue; their lifetime prevalence is as high as 30% in the general population but much higher in professional voice users.1,2 Severe dysphonia is a very fatiguing condition with a negative impact on the social and professional life. In the era of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, lock-down and social restrictions have caused an abrupt interruption of voice therapy programs. This lack of care may impact the possibility of reestablishing a socially acceptable voice in a reasonable time, having a possible negative impact on professional careers and emotional life.Psychological Stress and Vocal Symptoms Among University Professors in Israel: Implications of the Shift to Online Synchronous Teaching During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Psychological stress may have an adverse impact on the voice. The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between the change in levels of perceived psychological stress and vocal symptoms among Israeli academic college professors required to shift to synchronous online teaching during the global COVID-19 pandemic.Features of Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19 Patients With Dysphonia
To explore the prevalence of dysphonia in European patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and the clinical features of dysphonic patients.
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