A Bowling Green periodontist is looking below the gumline in patients who test positive for COVID-19 in hopes of learning more about the disease.
Dr. Tim Donley is studying the role gum disease plays in the severity and duration of coronavirus symptoms.
"We were able to detect virus that in concentrations was actually greater than what we found in the saliva of those patients," Donley said. "Now, it’s really early on in the process, but what that means is that the mouth might be a reservoir for virus particles.”
Donley is hopeful his efforts will lead to more efficient testing opportunities for the coronavirus.
Donley’s research is being conducted through the Medical Center of Bowling Green and the Western Kentucky Heart and Lung Institute.