A year has passed since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic. It changed the way we know and live life. Work, business, education, relationships, etc. all changed. Daily, we keep learning new things and ways to keep ourselves safe, in addition to the basic protocols of using masks and sanitizing.
According to research, there has been a link between poor oral hygiene and how severe COVID-19 in a person is. In their study titled “Could there be a link between Oral Hygiene and the Severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections?” Victoria Sampson from the Centre for Nutrition Education & Lifestyle Management (CNELM) and Ariane Sampson from the Orthodontics department of Cambridge University Hospital, tried to find a connection.
A lot of mystery hovered around the pandemic when the breakout of SARS-CoV-2 started in Wuhan, China. It took the World Health Organization about a month to issue a global emergency about the virus. They did this on the 30th of January. On the 11th of March, they declared the outbreak a pandemic. As of now, there are millions of people infected with the virus, with countries trying to recover from the economic fallout that resulted from the lockdown that was initiated to curb the virus. The death toll resulting from the virus has totaled over a million as we headed into the New Year.
About the Study:
Researchers in different fields got to work on the virus, trying to frantically find out factors responsible for the varying severity in people. Some people recover from the virus without showing any symptoms. Some show light symptoms, others heavy symptoms, while some died. This varying risk factor is worrisome, and so far, they have been tied to high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, heart diseases, etc.
It is further confusing, as we fight the virus, because researchers claim that about 52% of COVID-related deaths occurred in healthy individuals. This leaves us with so many things unclear.
In light of this, the study explored the compilations of COVID-19. These include; blood clots, pneumonia, sepsis, septic shock and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). From observations, these compilations occur more in people with comorbidities and bacterial overload.
The team has a speculation that there is a relationship between bacterial overload and the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Their study occurred mainly at the higher levels of bacterial superinfections and complications premised on the stated bacterial infections.
Oral Hygiene and COVID-19:
Basically, the research hypothesized and tried to prove a relationship between poor oral hygiene and the virus. One major reference of this study is the noticed complications of COVID-19 that occurred in people with poor oral health and periodontal disease. The analysis done took into consideration the oral microbiome of the mouth. According to the researchers, “we explore the connection between high bacterial load in the mouth and post-viral complications, and how improving oral health may reduce the risk of complications from COVID-19.”
Study Results:
According to the duo, “Good oral hygiene has been recognized as a means to prevent airway infections in patients, especially in those over the age of 70.” The results from their study also showed that those with periodontal diseases have a 25% higher risk of heart disease. Their results show the relationship between the various risk factors.
From their research and results, the link between the major COVID-19 risk factors – diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity – and poor oral hygiene were further established. Hence, “Oral hygiene should 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 superinfections.”
