People with gum disease 9 times more likely to die from Covid-19, study finds

A new study has found that people with gum issues or disease are nine times more likely to die from coronavirus infection.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, looked at 568 Covid-19 infected people between February and July last year. The authors of the study observed that people with gum disease were more at risk of death from the infection.

Furthermore, even patients with gum disease who did not die were more likely to experience severe symptoms of the virus.

Also read: UK scientists to launch world’s first human trials to study Covid-19 impact on immune system

The findings of the study suggested that patients with gum disease were 3.5 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care units and 4.5 times more likely to need a ventilator.

Why does this happen?

This happens largely because gum disease causes inflammation of the gums. The coronavirus also leads to inflammation. So, elevated levels of inflammation furthered by gum disease during coronavirus infection put people at higher risk for developing severe symptoms.

The study also noted that the blood markers that indicate inflammation in the body were found to be higher in Covid patients with gum disease than those without it.

The researchers believe that inflammation in the oral cavity makes coronavirus more violent. Thus, proper oral care should be a part of health recommendations to reduce the risk of Covid-19 severity.