The main source of coronavirus spread has been identified

A group of American scientists concluded that the coronavirus reproduces most easily in the mouth, according to a Preprint of an article published on the medRxiv portal.

According to researchers, the oral cavity (especially the salivary glands, tongue and tonsils) is one of the most “favorable” places for the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its subsequent spread.

According to scientists, the risk of infection by mouth may be underestimated. In particular, the chances of infection through swallowed saliva or getting the virus directly into the lungs increase. In addition, the risk of transmission of COVID-19 from one person to another increases — for example, when coughing or talking. The authors of the article pointed out the need to wear masks, since these are the means of protection that most effectively prevent the spread of coronavirus in this way.

It is noted that this is the first work aimed at studying the reproduction of SARS-CoV-2 exclusively in the mouth, since most researchers focused on the manifestations of infection in the nose and lungs. The symptoms characteristic of “oral infection” are still being studied, and at the moment experts were able to identify only the standard manifestations for COVID-19 — loss of taste and prolonged dry mouth.

Now the article must pass an expert evaluation so that its results can be officially used in medical practice.