139 Auditory and balance profile of Puerto Rican adults infected and vaccinated against COVID-19

Objectives/Goals: The aim of this study is to create a profile of Puerto Rican adults that either developed auditory or balance problems after contracting or being vaccinated against COVID-19 or whose symptoms got worse after the infection or vaccination against the coronavirus. Methods/Study Population: This research has two arms: a descriptive explorative survey designed arm and experimental profiling. Four cohorts of Puerto Rican adults between 21 and 64 years old were profiled; subjects that developed auditory or balance disorders after contracting COVID-19, subjects who’s auditory and balance conditions got worse after contracting COVID-19, subjects who developed auditory or balance disorders after being vaccinated against COVID-19 and subjects who’s auditory and balance conditions got worse after being vaccinated against COVID-19. Subjects were recruited, assessed, and interviewed at the University of Puerto Rico-Medical School Intramural Clinic after the research protocol was approved by the Office of Protection of Research Participants of the University of PR-Medical Sciences Campus. Results/Anticipated Results: Results reflected that fifty-seven percent of the subjects experienced hearing difficulty which worsen after contracting or being vaccinated against COVID-19. Seven percent of the subject’s that were vaccinated developed constant Tinnitus which was bilateral in the majority of the subjects (55%). Fourteen percent of the subjects that already had Tinnitus reported that the level of their Tinnitus increased after either contracting or being vaccinated against COVID-19. Discussion/Significance of Impact: This pilot research study adds to the evidence of the impact of COVID-19 infection and vaccination against the coronavirus on the inner ear of Hispanics of Puerto Rican ethnicity. Its significance lies in documenting the different auditory pathologies that can emerge or that can become worse by the contraction of the coronavirus.