SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may infect cells in the mouth, along with primary sites of infection like the upper airways and lungs, according to a study published March 25 in Nature Medicine.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill led the study, which entailed analyzing oral tissues from healthy people to identify regions of the mouth susceptible to the virus.
Once these regions were identified, researchers looked for signs of infection in oral tissue samples from people with COVID-19. They found SARS-CoV-2 RNA in about half of samples collected by the NIH from people who died of COVID-19. Researchers also identified specific viral RNA sequences in two samples — including one from a living person — that indicated cells were actively replicating the virus.
This finding builds on evidence that COVID-19 can infect multiple areas of the body and may help explain the wide range of symptoms patients experience, including loss of taste and dry mouth.
"Moreover, the findings point to the possibility that the mouth plays a role in transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to the lungs or digestive system via saliva laden with virus from infected oral cells," NIH said in a March 25 press release.
To view the full study, click here.