Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The funder had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication. 1. Zou L, Ruan F, Huang M, et al. SARS-CoV-2 viral load in upper respiratory specimens of infected patients.

• Half of MD patients presented with inversion of the saccule to utricle ratio. • Saccular analysis is crucial when assessing patients with Meniere's disease. • In some patients, the saccule is not visible, suggestive of intra-labyrinthine fistulae.

Background and Purpose: The efficiency of prehospital care chain response and the adequacy of hospital resources are challenged amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, with suspected consequences for patients with ischemic stroke eligible for mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Methods: We conducted a prospective national-level data collection of patients treated with MT, ranging 45 days across epidemic containment measures instatement, and of patients treated during the same calendar period in 2019. The primary end point was the variation of patients receiving MT during the epidemic period. Secondary end points included care delays between onset, imaging, and groin puncture. To analyze the primary end point, we used a Poisson regression model. We then analyzed the correlation between the number of MTs and the number of COVID-19 cases hospitalizations, using the Pearson correlation coefficient (compared with the null value). Results: A total of 1513 patients were included at 32 centers, in all French administrative regions. There was a 21% significant decrease (0.79; [95%CI, 0.76–0.82]; P <0.001) in MT case volumes during the epidemic period, and a significant increase in delays between imaging and groin puncture, overall (mean 144.9±SD 86.8 minutes versus 126.2±70.9; P <0.001 in 2019) and in transferred patients (mean 182.6±SD 82.0 minutes versus 153.25±67; P <0.001). After the instatement of strict epidemic mitigation measures, there was a significant negative correlation between the number of hospitalizations for COVID and the number of MT cases ( R 2 −0.51; P =0.04). Patients treated during the COVID outbreak were less likely to receive intravenous thrombolysis and to have unwitnessed strokes (both P <0.05). Conclusions: Our study showed a significant decrease in patients treated with MTs during the first stages of the COVID epidemic in France and alarming indicators of lengthened care delays. These findings prompt immediate consideration of local and regional stroke networks preparedness in the varying contexts of COVID-19 pandemic evolution.

Objective:To assess the physiopathology of olfactory function loss (OFL) in COVID-19 patients, we evaluated the olfactory clefts on MRI during the early stage of the disease and one month later.Methods:This was a prospective monocentric case-controlled study. Twenty SARS-CoV2-infected patients with OFL were included and compared to 20 age-matched control healthy subjects. All infected patients underwent olfactory function assessment and 3T MRI, performed both at the early stage of the disease and at one-month follow-up.Results:At the early stage, SARS-CoV2-infected patients had a mean olfactory score of 2.8 +/- 2.7 (range 0–8), and MRI displayed a complete obstruction of the OC in 19 out of 20 patients. Controls had normal olfactory scores and no obstruction of the OC on MRI. At one month follow-up, the olfactory score had improved to 8.3 +/- 1.9 (range 4–10) in patients, and only 7 out of 20 patients still had an obstruction of the OC. There was a correlation between olfactory score and obstruction of the OC (p=0.004).Conclusion:OFL in SARS-CoV2-infected patients is associated with a reversible obstruction of the OC.

• MRI helps clinicians to assess patients with isolated low-tone sensorineural hearing loss. • Saccular hydrops correlates with sensorineural hearing loss at levels above 40 dB. • Vertigo patients without sensorineural hearing loss do not have saccular hydrops. • Saccular hydrops is described in patients without clinical diagnosis of Meniere's disease.