The study, detailed in the journal Nature Medicine on Thursday, may explain why so many infected people lose their taste and suggests that the mouth is an important source of the spread of Covid-19. It was already known that the saliva test was a good way to detect the infection, but the researchers had not investigated why.
“When the infected saliva is swallowed or small particles of it are inhaled, we think it can transmit SARS-CoV-2 even more to the throat, lung or even the intestine,” said Dr. Kevin Byrd of the American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, which worked on the study.
The mouth, nose, sinuses, throat and lungs are connected and the virus can spread to all regions of the mucus that drains or is expelled. They checked oral tissue samples from people who died from Covid-19 and found the virus in about half of the salivary glands they tested.
The study also found evidence that people who test negative after a nasal smear sometimes continue to show a positive result on a saliva test, noting that even if the virus is cleared from the nasopharynx – the upper part of the throat behind the nose – it can persist in saliva.
YOU ASKED. WE ANSWER.
Q. Can pregnant or breastfeeding women get the Covid-19 vaccine?
ONE. It depends on the country you are in. In many parts of the world, Covid-19 vaccines are not available to pregnant women and women who breastfeed in some places are advised against being vaccinated due to a lack of data on these groups. In the US, the CDC has not advised pregnant and lactating women to get the vaccine, but it does allow them access, arguing that it is a woman’s choice how to balance the benefits and risks.
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY
Dangerous variants could mean ‘all bets are off’ in the US recovery
An increase in the number of infections in several states “tells us that when we have a more contagious variant that all bets are off, because it means that activities that we thought were very low risk will now be at higher risk,” CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen told Anderson Cooper of CNN on Thursday.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also warned of NBC’s “Today” program that the US “is still seeing about 1,000 deaths a day”, which is “a very great”.
President Joe Biden doubles the vaccine goal in the first 100 days
“I know it is ambitious – double our original target – but no other country in the world has come close, not even close to what we are doing. I believe we can do that,” said Biden.
EU summit turns to disputes as leaders put pressure on AstraZeneca and the United Kingdom
European Union leaders at the virtual meeting confirmed their plans to allow a ban on the export of vaccines in some situations to prevent doses from leaving the back of the block, as he struggles to implement a comprehensive vaccination program.
ON OUR RADAR
- Dreaming of having a margarita in Mexico? You can visit the I Miss My Bar, an interactive website that brings the atmosphere of the Maverick bar in the city of Monterrey.
- The authorities in Seychelles are doing everything they can to ensure that travelers can return quickly and, most importantly, safely.
- Some workplaces, colleges and accommodation may require vaccination certificates to allow entry. Rutgers University is one of the first in the United States to require vaccines for students this fall.
- Covid has a color, writes Catherine Powell. The pandemic highlighted a number of underlying inequalities in race – including at work – exacerbated by the health crisis and the emerging economy that stays at home.
- The US government has stopped distributing Covid-19 antibody treatment, developed by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, as officials say the therapy alone may not work as well against new variants.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“Only after we have really gone through this period when we are trying so hard to improve voluntary acceptance, should we start to think about whether mandates are necessary and appropriate.” – Emily Largent, lawyer and assistant professor of medical ethics.