SARS-CoV-2 infects and replicates in the salivary glands, study finds In Brazil, researchers at the University of São Paulo's Medical School (FM-USP) have discovered that SARS-CoV-2 infects and replicates in the salivary glands. Analysis of samples from three types of salivary gland obtained during a minimally invasive autopsy procedure performed on patients who died from complications of COVID-19 at Hospital das Clínicas, FM-USP's hospital complex, showed that tissues specializing in producing and secreting saliva serve as reservoirs for the novel coronavirus. The study was supported by FAPESP and reported in an article published in the Journal of Pathology.