Objective: In this study, the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the incidence of idiopathic peripheral facial paralysis (IPFP) was investigated.

Materials and Methods: Patients who were treated with the diagnosis of IPFP between March 2016 and February 2022 were included in the study. Demographic data of the patients, such as age, gender, and concomitant chronic diseases, were recorded. The patients were evaluated in two periods; which cover the pandemic period (patients diagnosed between March 2020-February 2022) and the pre-pandemic period (patients diagnosed between March 2016-February 2020). In addition, patients were divided into 6 different groups according to the diagnosis periods as follows; March 2016-February 2017 (group 1), March 2017-February 2018 (group 2) March 2018-February 2019 (group 3), March 2019-February 2020 (group 4), and March 2020-February 2021 (group 5) and March 2021-February 2022 (group 6).

Results: A total of 578 patients, 362 in the pre-pandemic period and 216 in the pandemic period, were included in the study. Covid-19 real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test positivity was detected in two of the patients who were followed up as inpatients during the pandemic period. In our study, the incidence of IPFP in the pre-pandemic period was 15/100.000; In the pandemic period, we found it to be 18.1/100.000.

Conclusion: Although viral infections are known to have a very important role in the etiology of IPFP, we found that there was no increase in the incidence of IPFP during the pandemic period in our study.