BETHESDA, Md. - A recent study by the National Institutes of Health found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may infect oral cells, which explains a variety of symptoms that occur in the mouths of coronavirus patients.Researchers say half of all COVID-19 patients have experienced some oral symptoms, including the loss of taste, dry mouth and lesions.
Much of the way the disease spreads is through the mouth, including by coughing, breathing and talking. NIH scientists said that before the recent study, they weren’t clear on whether the novel coronavirus could directly infect and replicate in the tissues of an individual’s mouth.