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The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has widespread implications for clinical practice of otolaryngologists in clinics and hospitals. With various reports of otolaryngology practitioners catching infection, a profound structural reorganization of ENT services in the clinic is mandatory for protecting both patients and healthcare workers. The present study focused on quantifying the cost involved in reorganizing the otolaryngology out-patient services in a third world country during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Though the pandemic has increased the cost of running of an otolaryngology practice world over, the impact is huge in India as penetration of health insurance/social security is minimal. As out of pocket expenditure forms a significant proportion of healthcare spending by majority in India, any transfer of additional cost incurred because of Covid-19 pandemic to the patient will burn a bigger hole in their pocket.

<p class="Noindentpara">A new virus was reported for causing a spurt of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, Hubei 56 province in China in December 2019. This coronavirus, was initially named as the 2019- novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) on 12 January 2020 by World Health Organization (WHO). WHO officially named the disease as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) and coronavirus study group (CSG) of the International Committee proposed to name the new Coronavirus as SARS-CoV-2, both issued on 11 February 2020.</p>