Salisbury doctor says a healthy mouth may lower the risk of developing Covid-19
He has worked with a group of people from across the world on a theory
A doctor working at Salisbury District Hospital has developed a theory that gum disease could be the main risk factor for catching Covid-19.
Dr Graham Lloyd-Jones, Consultant Radiologist at our NHS Foundation Trust, has worked with international researchers to look at this idea.
His hypothesis highlights the importance of good oral hygiene when ill with Covid-19 and says simple oral healthcare measures should be encouraged in the community, hospitals, and nursing homes.
The theory explains that the virus is found in saliva and that the first step the virus takes on its way to the lungs could be through damaged gums.
It then enters the bloodstream and into the blood vessels of the neck and chest, through the heart, and to the lung blood vessels.
Researchers are currently working to prove the theory.
Keeping a healthy mouth may potentially lower the risk of developing the virus and using specific over-the-counter mouthwashes which have been shown to kill SARS-CoV-2, could help lower the risk of transmission of the virus from the mouth to the lungs.
Dr Lloyd-Jones said:
"The risk factors for severe COVID-19 and gum disease are the same. It could be that gum disease is a converging and principal risk factor for severe COVID-19."
You can read the full scientific article by clicking here.