To assess the incidence of radiological inflammation within the paranasal sinuses, middle ear and mastoid in patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted to examine consecutive adults (aged over 18 years) with coronavirus disease 2019 (confirmed on polymerase chain reaction within 7 days of imaging) who underwent computed tomography of the head between 1 March 2020 and 24 June 2020. Lund–Mackay and mastoid and middle-ear opacification scores were used to categorise the extent of sinus and mastoid opacification on axial and coronal computed tomography images.

Of 147 patients originally identified, only 83 met the inclusion criteria. Sinus opacification was present in 51.8 per cent of patients (n = 43), and middle-ear or mastoid opacification was observed in 24.1 per cent (n = 20). There was no statistically significant difference in sinus or middle-ear and mastoid opacification between patients after stratification based on 30-day all-cause mortality.

Radiological computed tomography findings suggest mild mucosal disease within the sinuses, middle ear and mastoid. There was no statistical correlation between such opacification and 30-day mortality.