NIH Study Shows SARS-CoV-2 Is Spread Through Saliva

A study recently published in Nature Medicine found that the novel coronavirus infects the cells lining the oral cavity and salivary glands, which explains why saliva tests can be used to detect SARS-CoV-2 and why COVID-19 illness exerts oral effects, such as loss of taste and smell, xerostomia, and oral lesions. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers also discovered that the virus can transmit to other healthy cells while encased in saliva, which means that asymptomatic individuals can spread COVID-19 to others via saliva. To read more about the study, click here.