British researchers have found a link between poor oral hygiene and severity of COVID-19 disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Researchers to date have identified several risk factors that are associated with severe COVID-19 course of disease and outcome. Some of the risk factors associated with poor outcome of the disease include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. The team of researchers explains that 52 percent of the deaths due to COVID-19 also occur in healthy individuals, and the cause behind this is unclear. The authors of the study wrote that during lung infection, there is a risk of aspirating the oral secretions into the lungs, which could cause infection. Some of the bacteria present in the mouth that could cause such infections include Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, they wrote. They explained that periodontitis or infection of the gums is one of the most prevalent causes of harmful bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria lead to the formation of cytokines such as Interleukin 1 (IL1) and Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which can be detected in the saliva and can reach the lungs leading to infection within them. Thus, the researchers wrote, “inadequate oral hygiene can increase the risk of inter-bacterial exchanges between the lungs and the mouth, increasing the risk of respiratory infections and potentially post-viral bacterial complications.” They recommend “oral hygiene be maintained, if not improved, during a SARS-CoV-2 infection in order to reduce the bacterial load in the mouth and the potential risk of bacterial superinfection.”

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