A new study has found evidence that the coronavirus can infect the mouth and spread to other parts of the body. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said their findings may explain why people lose their sense of taste and smell and why those symptoms can last for months after testing negative.
They tested samples of oral tissues from people who died from COVID-19 and found evidence of the virus in the saliva glands of half of the samples. They believe that once the virus has infected the saliva glands, it can spread to other parts of the body, including the lungs, throat, and stomach.
“When infected saliva is swallowed, or tiny particles of it are inhaled, we think it can potentially transmit SARS-CoV-2 further into our throats, our lungs, or even our guts,” said Dr. Kevin Byrd of the American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, who worked on the study.
Researchers also said that some people who tested negative for COVID-19 when using nasal swabs continued to test positive when saliva tests were used.
“By revealing a potentially underappreciated role for the oral cavity in SARS-CoV-2 infection, our study could open up new investigative avenues leading to a better understanding of the course of infection and disease. Such information could also inform interventions to combat the virus and alleviate oral symptoms of COVID-19,” Dr. Blake Warner of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research said in a statement released by the National Institute of Health.
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