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Summary Background 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. Objective To assess adjustments that have been undertaken by phoniatricians and otolaryngologists in the delivery of health-care services during the pandemic in order to reduce staff exposure to COVID-19 and improve safety. Study design Cross-sectional. Methods An online self-administered survey was used during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020 to collect data related to demographics of participants, their sources of information, administrative alterations, and changes they adopted when meeting patients for a consultation/procedure/surgery. Results The eligible 154 responses were grouped into 4 groups based on country of residence. Alterations to service delivery amongst the different groups were compared. Conclusions The majority of participants were following the suggested recommendations to service delivery adjustments, with some inconsistencies in practice across countries.

Objectives/Hypothesis. To examine the changes in the larynx, as well as self-reported voice and throat symptoms, among patients undergoing a histamine challenge test. Thus, to understand the possible clinical effects of histamine on the larynx. Study design. Controlled, open prospective study. Methods. Thirty adult patients with prolonged cough and suspicion of bronchial asthma underwent a histamine challenge test. Videolaryngostroboscopy was performed immediately before and after the challenge. Voice and throat symptoms immediately before and after the challenge test were assessed using a visual analog scale. Results. Videolaryngostroboscopy after exposure showed significant increases in edema (P

Objectives The present study aimed to investigate whether there are differences between Arabic-speaking and Finnish-speaking listeners in the impressions of a speaker's personality as evoked by various intentional voice qualities. Study design This is an experimental study. Methods Samples (N = 55) were gathered from native Finnish-speaking males (N = 4) and females (N = 5), who read a text passage of 43 words using eight different voice qualities: (1) habitual speaking voice, speaking with (2) a forward or (3) backward placement of the tongue, or a (4) breathy, (5) tense, (6) creaky, (7) nasalized, or (8) denasalized voice. Native Arabic-speaking participants (34 males, 12 females; N = 46) were asked to evaluate the speech samples on a seven-point polarized scale by choosing 1–5 from a total of 18 contrasting pairs of personality traits. The listening tests were presented via Windows Media Player and a Genelec Biamp loudspeaker. Traits that had evaluations of 30% or more were selected for the final analysis. The results were compared to the results of native Finnish-speaking listeners (12 males, 38 females; N = 50). Statistical analyses were carried out using IBM SPSS Statistics 25. Results On the whole, both listener groups perceived the speakers’ voice qualities similarly, although the Finnish-speaking listeners linked many voice qualities, especially nasal and denasal voices, with unpleasant and other negative personality traits. Moreover, somewhat opposing evaluations were given by the two language groups for voices with forward and backward placements of the tongue, and breathy and tense voices. In many cases, the evaluations by the Arabic-speaking listeners were more scattered. The speakers’ sex also seemed to affect perceptions of personality. Conclusions There seem to be similar stereotypical tendencies to relate certain voice qualities with certain personality traits, which is explainable by how the voice types are produced and used to express emotions. Some opposing trends found between the two language groups may be related to language and cultural differences. A further study with larger listener groups and including also samples from Arabic language speakers is needed to confirm the results of the present study.

The aim of this study was to investigate if there were objective quantities extracted from the speech pressure waveforms that underlay inaudible changes in the symptoms of the vocal organ. This was done through analyzing 180 voice samples obtained from nine subjects (five females and four males) before and after exposure to a placebo substance (lactose) and an organic dust substance. Acoustical analysis of the voice samples was achieved by using glottal inverse filtering. Results showed that the values of primary open quotient and primary speed quotient changed significantly (P0.05) as did the amplitude quotient (P0.01). Exposure to lactose resulted in significant changes of secondary open quotient (P0.05) but opposite to effects found for exposure to organic dust. Modeling of the vocal tract into cross-sectional planes revealed that the immediate plane above the vocal folds correlates inversely with the feeling that voice is tense, or feeling the need to make an effort when speaking in addition having a feeling of shortness of breath or the need to gasp for air. Such results may point to acoustically detected subclinical changes in the vocal organ that the subject him/herself feels while they remain perceptually undetected by others.

Summary Objective This study aimed to assess teachers' voice symptoms and noise in schools in Upper Egypt and to study possible differences between teachers in public and private schools. Study Design A cross-sectional analysis via questionnaire was carried out. Methods Four schools were chosen randomly to represent primary and preparatory schools as well as public and private ones. In these schools, a total of 140 teachers participated in the study. They answered a questionnaire on vocal and throat symptoms and their effects on working and social activities, as well as levels and effects of experienced noise. Results Of all teachers, 47.9% reported moderate or severe dysphonia within the last 6 months, and 21.4% reported daily dysphonia. All teachers reported frequent feelings of being in noise, with 82.2% feeling it sometimes or always during the working day, resulting in a need to raise their voice. Teachers in public schools experienced more noise from nearby classes. Conclusion The working conditions and vocal health of teachers in Upper Egypt, especially in public schools, are alarming.