STATEN ISLAND, NY – Patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) with gum disease are more likely to die than those with better oral health, a recent study suggests.
Research published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, 1 – an official publication of the European Federation of Periodontology – states that people with gum disease who become infected with the virus are nine times more likely to die.
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The study, which examined 568 coronavirus patients in Qatar – including a group without healthy gums – also found that those with gum disease were 3.5 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care and 4.5 times more likely to need of a fan.
The signs of inflammation in the body were greater in patients with gum disease, suggesting that inflammation may explain the high rates of complications.
“The results of the study suggest that inflammation in the oral cavity may open the door for the coronavirus to become more violent,” said study co-author Prof. Lior Shapira, to Medical Xpress. “Oral care should be part of the health recommendations to reduce the risk of serious COVID-19 results.”