The Effects Of COVID-19 On Speech And Communication

Written by: Roselyn Mathew / Treatment / October 26, 2022 / 8 minutes read

COVID-19 or Coronavirus disease is a contagious disease which is caused by coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The transmission of the disease is airborne, which means it is spread after breathing in the air that is contaminated by small droplets or particles containing the virus. The first case of COVID-19 was identified in December, 2019. Soon after identification, the disease quickly spread worldwide and has resulted in the COVID-19 pandemic. As you have seen, the whole world has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. The different policies and restrictions made have affected the general life of people.

Symptoms of COVID-19

The symptoms of COVID-19 vary based on the age of the person, immunity and health of the person and the type of variant to which the person has been exposed to. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are:

• Cough, which is usually dry

• Sore throat

• Runny nose

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

• Low- grade or high-grade fever

• Chills, especially at night

• Weakness or fatigue

• Muscle or body aches

• Headache

• Loss of taste or smell

• Diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain

• Rash or discoloration on skin

• Generally feeling unwell.

These symptoms can be mild or severe depending on each person.

Symptoms may occur 1-14 days after being exposed to the virus. Usually, symptoms start appearing 3-7 days after virus exposure. 

It has been scientifically proven that certain vaccines prevent or reduce the severity of the symptoms of COVID-19. 

Effects of COVID-19 on health

The health effects caused by COVID-19 is severe in patients who are immunocompromised or who already have health issues. The most affected system due to COVID-19 is the respiratory system. Lungs are affected and severe COVID-19 could result in pneumonia and other issues with the respiratory system. If pneumonia occurs, the blood coming from the lungs has less oxygen, which might affect the other systems of the body like kidneys and liver.

The vascular system has also been found to be affected where health issues like arrhythmias, myocarditis, acute coronary syndrome and congestive heart failure can occur. 

In the nervous system, stroke has been reported in many patients with COVID-19. Delirium and seizures are also frequently reported. A lot of patients have also reported of impaired sense of taste and smell. 

Psychological problems like depression, anxiety, mood fluctuations have been commonly reported not only by the patients, but by their caretakers as well. 

Gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and loss of appetite are observed in many clients. 

Skin problems have also been observed in many clients. A lot of patients have reported to have patchy rashes or a widespread urticaria. Few patients have reported having fluid filled vesicles or blisters. 

"Psychological issues which are directly or indirectly related to COVID-19 like depression, anxiety, feeling of loneliness and stress can also affect speech and communication."

Effects of COVID-19 on Speech, Language and Communication

COVID-19 can cause hoarseness of voice, low volume or sometimes no voice. These usually clear off when the patient fully recovers but some patients have reported of having voice hoarseness even after recovering from COVID-19. 

Many patients have been reported to have developed stuttering after the onset of COVID-19. It has not been clear whether these are caused due to an impact to the nervous system or whether it is due to a psychological impact. 

Due to stroke, many patients are reported to have facial paralysis (causing slurring of speech) and Dysarthria.

Language disorders like Aphasia and Apraxia have also been reported due to brain damage due to stroke and other causes.

Issues reading and writing are reported among many patients which causes communication barriers. 

It has also been reported that many patients suffer from memory loss and poor executive functions. Psychological issues which are directly or indirectly related to COVID-19 like depression, anxiety, feeling of loneliness and stress can also affect speech and communication.

Dietary issues like loss of appetite, chewing and swallowing have also been reported.

Illness, isolation, changes in lifestyle, like lockdowns, working remotely, not interacting with people (due to fear of contracting the disease) and not attending social gatherings have led to difficulties in social communication. Although some people report being able to communicate easily after an initial difficulty, many people, especially those who are young, report having social awkwardness and difficulties initiating conversations or interacting with others. Non-verbal communication like eye contact, social smile, appropriate body language and general attitude to communicate have also been affected for people who have had and for those who did not have COVID-19.

In children, it has also been found that speech, language and communication have been affected due to COVID-19. Children have been found to have increased screen time. The Canadian Pediatric Society has stated that increased screen time could lead to a lot of negative consequences in a child’s development. Recent research done by Western University of Ontario shows that screen time of children has increased threefold. They have also found that every 30-minute increase in screen time can increase the chances of expressive language delay by 49%. 

It has been seen that some health issues do not go away completely or some start to occur in patients who have recovered from COVID-19. This is called long term COVID-19 or post COVID-19 syndrome. It has been seen that many of the speech, language and communication issues discussed above persists even after recovering from COVID-19. It has also been seen that some clients have developed Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease due to long COVID-19 resulting in speech and language difficulties.

Conclusion

COVID-19 affects speech, language and communication skills. Attending speech and language therapy would result in improved speech, language and communication skills and a better lifestyle.

To speak with one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.