A new study in the United Kingdom has shown that household liquid substance, mouthwash may kill COVID-19 in saliva within 30 seconds when exposed in a laboratory.
The new study comes as scientists worldwide race toward discovering an effective vaccine to fight against the raging coronavirus pandemic.
Initial results of a study at Cardiff University, United Kingdom, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, showed “promising signs” of mouthwashes containing at least 0.07 per cent Cetypyridinium Chloride (CPC) being capable of combatting the virus, Aljazeera reports.
The research team carried out tests at the university’s laboratory by mimicking the conditions of a person’s naso/oropharynx passage and using mouthwash including UK-brand Dentyl.
Their report – titled “The Virucidal Efficacy of Oral Rinse Components Against SARS-CoV-2 In Vitro” – which supports another study published last week that found CPC-based mouthwashes are effective in reducing COVID’s viral load.
While the research suggests use of mouthwash may help kill the virus in saliva, there is not evidence it could be used as a treatment for coronavirus, as it will not reach the respiratory tract or the lungs.
A 12-week clinical trial at the University Hospital of Wales will now help determine how effective over-the-counter mouthwash is in reducing the levels of COVID-19 in the saliva of coronavirus patients. The results are expected to be published in early 2021.
According to Dr David Thomas, who is leading the clinical trial;
Although this in-vitro study is very encouraging and is a positive step, more clinical research is now clearly needed.
We need to understand if the effect of over-the-counter mouthwashes on the Covid-19 virus achieved in the laboratory can be reproduced in patients, and we look forward to completing our clinical trial in early 2021.
Giving more insight into the research, lead author of the study, Dr Richard Stanton, said;
This study adds to the emerging literature that several commonly-available mouthwashes designed to fight gum disease can also inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (and other related coronaviruses) when tested in the laboratory under conditions that are designed to mimic the oral/nasal cavity in a test tube.
This study is not yet peer reviewed and published which means it has not yet been scrutinised by other scientists as is the usual process with academic research. It has now been submitted for publication in a journal.
He added;
People should continue to follow the preventive measures issued by the UK government, including washing hands frequently and maintaining social distance.
On his part, Dr Nick Claydon, a specialist periodontologist, said the study could lead to mouthwash becoming an important part of people’s routines.
Dr Claydon stated;
If these positive results are reflected in Cardiff University’s clinical trial, CPC-based mouthwashes could become an important addition to people’s routine, together with hand washing, physical distancing and wearing masks, both now and in the future.
Read Also: COVID-19: Pfizer-BioNTech Says Vaccine Now 95% Effective
The mouthwash study follows last week’s announcement from US drug giant Pfizer that phase three trial results for the COVID-19 vaccine it is developing with Germany’s BioNTech showed it to be more than 90% percent effective, in initial study.
Its latest and completed study have now shown that the COVID-19 vaccine is 95% effective against the virus.
Read Also: Breaking: COVID-19 Vaccine 94.5% Effective, Says US Biotech Firm, Moderna
Another biotech firm, Moderna Inc, also announced on Monday that its COVID-19 experimental vaccine was 94.5% effective, in a preliminary study.
The latest development has raised hopes that the world is winning the fight against the coronavirus pandemic which has devastated the globe, infecting over 56 million worldwide and killing more than 1.3 million people.
