Non-Medical COVID-19 Impacts and Hearing Status: A Global Study of Differential Health Impact Among Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Hearing Populations

The study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people globally. The research included 7,998 participants from 184 countries, comprising 304 deaf, 951 hard of hearing, and 6,743 hearing individuals. Deaf persons reported significantly higher rates of job loss (28.9% versus 9.6% in hearing people), healthcare cancellations (39.9% versus 24.6%), and inability to obtain basic supplies. More than half (55.9%) of deaf participants scored above the median composite impact index compared to 39.2% of hearing participants. Deaf status remained an independent predictor of high non-medical impact even after adjustment for other factors. Hard of hearing participants did not differ statistically significantly from hearing individuals. The conclusion emphasizes that disparities among deaf people were driven by language access barriers and institutional exclusion rather than hearing loss itself.