Two years ago, I experienced Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL), and am now almost completely deaf in one ear. This year, one of my colleagues had the same thing. Now I see there's a study out showing a strong correlation between COVID and SSNHL.
I guess that explains a lot. But, shit.
BTW If you find you suddenly lose hearing in one ear, get yourself to a specialist *immediately*. You have a 24-36 hour window to save your hearing before it becomes permanent.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00338-9/fulltext

@steve A quick takeaway from that paper is that 1:800 infected young adults suffers hearing loss as a consequence of infection. If someone catches Covid once a year between the age of 20 and 40...

Letting It Rip clearly is not working. Even if it were only a transient illness--wishful thinking; it is chronic--the attrition alone is catastrophic.