[PA Engineer]

Humans are incapable of making vitamin C. We must take it. We also have Prevotella bacteria in oral, nasal, gut, lung, and vaginal surfaces. Since we lack innate vitamin C generation, SARS-CoV-2 is free to infect any of our cells with ACE2, CD4, CD147 receptors as well as our Prevotella colonies. A bloom of Prevotella in the presence of sugar and reduced oxygen provides significant additional growth substrate for SARS-CoV-2.

An additional interesting fact of Prevotella infection. Type 2 diabetics suffer a high degree of gum infections from Prevotella. Just another data point.

Diabetes and periodontal disease

Insulin-dependent diabetic patients with periodontitis have been reported to have subgingival flora composed mainly of capnocytophaga, anaerobic vibrios, and Actinomyces species. Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and actinomycetemcomitans present in non-diabetics are present in low numbers in diabetics. Increased glucose level in crevicular fluid in diabetics may favor the growth of some microbial species.

There are are other papers discussing this bacterial infection and gum disease.

[grey_whiskers]

[Myrddin]

Anecdotal personal experience: taking at least a gram of vitamin C daily results in all "5" evaluations of my gums when probed by the dentists. In prior years I had not been as consistent with my vitamin C intake and had some 3 or 4 spots that were slightly tender when probed. Gum disease and vitamin C deficiency appear related.