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Medical scans of Covid-19 patients show how the virus damages the lungs most towards the bottom of the organs. Dr Graham Lloyd-Jones, a radiologist from Salisbury Hospital in the UK, noticed this pattern of damage and hypothesised that this indicates that the virus, which replicates in the mouth, could be entering the lungs via the bloodstream, as well as the airways, if the patient has damaged or bleeding gums. He says that researchers have been noticing a link between gum disease and poor outcomes in Covid for some months now. He stresses that this has not yet been proven – and that keeping our mouths healthy and clean with toothbrushing and mouthwash is good for our overall health – as well as potentially limiting the spread of Covid in our bodies.

Photo: A woman scrubs here teeth while checking her phone Credit: Getty Images