By Mouthwash could protect against coronavirus, new study suggests
Mouthwash is able to kill coronavirus within 30 seconds of exposure to it in a laboratory, a new scientific study has found.
Scientists at Cardiff University found there were “promising signs” that over-the-counter mouthwashes may help to destroy the virus.
The research found that mouthwashes containing 0.07 per cent of the ingredient cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) showed “promising signs” of reducing Covid-19.
Scientists carried out tests at the university’s laboratory by mimicking the conditions of a person’s naso/oropharynx passage and using mouthwash brands including Dentyl.
A clinical trial will next examine how effective over-the-counter mouthwash is in reducing the levels of Covid-19 in the saliva of coronavirus patients at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.
The results are expected to be published in early 2021.
Dr Nick Claydon, a specialist periodontologist, said he believed the research was “very valuable”, according to the Independent.
He added: “If these positive results are reflected in Cardiff University’s clinical trial, CPC-based mouthwashes such as Dentyl used in the in-vitro study could become an important addition to people’s routine, together with hand washing, physical distancing and wearing masks, both now and in the future.”
Professor David Thomas, from Cardiff University, said: ‘Whilst these mouthwashes very effectively eradicate the virus in the laboratory, we need to see if they work in patients and this is the point of our ongoing clinical study.
“It is important to point out the study won’t give us any direct evidence on viral transmission between patients, that would require a different type of study on a much larger scale.’
The initial report is yet to be peer reviewed but supports another study published last week that found CPC-based mouthwashes are effective in reducing Covid-19’s viral load.
