The current circumstances of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic necessitate the use of personal protective equipment in hospitals. N95 masks and face shields are being used as personal protective equipment to protect from aerosol-related spread of infection. Personal protective equipment, however, hampers communication. This study aimed to assess the effect of using an N95 mask and face shield on speech perception among healthcare workers with normal hearing.

Twenty healthcare workers were recruited for the study. Pure tone audiometry was conducted to ensure normal hearing. Speech reception threshold and speech discrimination score were obtained, first without using personal protective equipment and then repeated with the audiologist wearing an N95 mask and face shield.

A statistically significant increase in speech reception threshold (mean of 12.4 dB) and decrease in speech discrimination score (mean of 7 per cent) was found while using the personal protective equipment.

Use of personal protective equipment significantly impairs speech perception. Alternate communication strategies should be developed for effective communication.

Younger patients, aged below 45 years, usually lack the conventional risk factors of stroke whereas infections, especially in developing countries, may play a role. There have been many reports in the last decade about the association of Chlamydia pneumoniae (C.pneumoniae) and atherosclerosis involving cerebral vessels.

To investigate the seroprevalence of C.pneumoniae IgG and IgA antibodies in patients aged below 45 years with acute ischemic stroke.

This study was done at a tertiary care hospital in South India between January 2004 and December 2006 where we recruited consecutive patients aged less than 45years with acute ischemic stroke. Age and sex matched controls were recruited from the outpatient department with non stroke diagnosis. All stroke patients underwent CT (Computerized Tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image), MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiography), Transthoracic Echocardiography and Carotid Doppler for stroke sub group diagnosis. We measured C.pneumoniae antibodies IgG and IgA by microimmunofluorescence technique in all patients and controls.

A total of 120 patients and 120 controls were studied over a period of two years. We found C.pneumoniae antibodies in 29.1% (35/120) stroke patients and in 12.5% (15/120) control subjects (p=0.002). C.pneumoniae IgG antibodies were found in 27.5 % (33/120) of stroke patients and 12.5% (15/120) of controls (p=0.006). IgAantibodies were observed in 5 % (6/120) of strokes and none in control group (p=0.03). After adjustment of all risk factors C.pneumoniae IgG seropositivity showed odds ratio of 2.6; 95% Confidence Interval 1.2-5.6.

C.pneumoniae IgG antibodies were found to be associated with ischemic stroke in young.