Several studies have reported a rise in new tinnitus and hearing-related symptoms following COVID-19 infection. The numbers vary, but a roughly 10–15 percent rate of new or worsened tinnitus in COVID recoverers shows up in multiple data sets. So yes, COVID is associated with tinnitus, both during acute infection and in some long-COVID presentations.
The mechanism is not fully nailed down. Several routes look plausible. SARS-CoV-2 can affect the inner ear directly via the cells that line the cochlea. The systemic inflammation that comes with infection can disturb hearing. And the broader autonomic dysregulation common in long COVID — poor sleep, dysautonomia, ongoing anxiety — would raise tinnitus distress through the same pathways as ordinary stress.
If you developed tinnitus during or after COVID, get a baseline audiogram and approach it the same way as any other new tinnitus. Many people see meaningful improvement over six to twelve months as the wider symptoms settle. A small subset has more persistent tinnitus that responds to the standard sound-therapy plus CBT pathway.