The study, detailed in the journal Nature Medicine on Thursday, may explain why so many infected people lose their sense of taste and suggest that the mouth is an important source of the spread of Covid-19. It was previously known that saliva testing was a good way to detect infection, but researchers had not looked to see why.
“When infected saliva is swallowed or tiny particles are inhaled, we believe it can still transmit SARS-CoV-2 to the throat, lungs, or even the intestines,” said Dr. Kevin Byrd of the American Dental Association Science and Institute research who worked on the study.
The mouth, nose, sinuses, throat and lungs are connected, and the virus can spread to all those regions of mucus that leak or cough. They checked oral tissue samples from people who died of Covid-19 and found the virus in about half of the salivary glands tested.
The study also found evidence that people who test negative for a nasal swab sometimes continue to test positive for a saliva test, noting that even if the virus is removed from the nasopharynx – the upper neck behind the nose – it would could persist in saliva.
YOU ASKED. I ANSWERED.
Q. Can pregnant or breastfeeding women receive the Covid-19 vaccine?
A. This 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 are breastfeeding in certain places are advised not to be inoculated due to the lack of data on these groups. In the US, the CDC has not advised pregnant and breastfeeding women to get the vaccine, but allows them access to it, arguing that it is a woman’s choice on how to balance the benefits and risks.
WHAT’S IMPORTANT TODAY
Dangerous options could mean “all bets are off” in the US recovery
An increase in the number of infections in several states “tells us when we have a more contagious variant that all bets are disabled, because it means that the activities we thought were quite small will now have a higher risk,” he says. CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Thursday.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also warned on NBC’s “Today” that the United States “still sees about 1,000 more deaths a day,” which is far too much. big”.
President Joe Biden doubles the vaccine target for the first 100 days
“I know it’s ambitious – twice our original goal – but no other country in the world has come close, not even to what we do. I think we can do it,” Biden said.
EU summit descends in contention as leaders put pressure on AstraZeneca and UK
The leaders of the European Union at the virtual meeting confirmed their plans to allow the export of vaccines in certain situations to prevent the doses from leaving the shores of the bloc, as they are struggling to launch a large-scale vaccination program.
ON OUR RADAR
- Do you dream of drinking a daisy in Mexico? You can visit I Miss My Bar, an interactive site that brings the atmosphere of the Maverick Bar in Monterrey.
- Seychelles officials are doing their best to ensure that travelers can return quickly and, more importantly, safely.
- Some jobs, colleges and hospitality places may require vaccine 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 has highlighted a number of inequalities underlying race – including in the job market – exacerbated by the health crisis and the emerging economy at home.
- The US government has stopped distributing the Covid-19 antibody treatment developed by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, because the authorities say that the therapy itself may not work as well against the new variants.
TODAY’S PODCAST
“Only once we have really gone through this period in which we have tried very hard to improve voluntary adoption should we begin to think that mandates are necessary and appropriate.” – Emily Largent, lawyer and assistant professor of medical ethics.