Mouthwash can kill COVID-19 within 30 seconds, finds UK study

A new study has found that mouthwash can kill coronavirus within 30 seconds in saliva.

A new study conducted by researchers at the Cardiff University in United Kingdom has found that mouthwash can kill coronavirus within 30 seconds in saliva.

The findings of the study were published last week with the researchers recognizing "promising signs" that a simple mouthwash can kill deadly coronavirus in seconds. The researchers have submitted their findings for publication in a journal. 

"The study could lead to mouthwash becoming an important part of people's routines," BBC quoted specialist periodontologist, Dr. Nick Claydon, as saying.

The researchers said that mouthwashes containing at least 0.07% cetyl pyridinium chloride (CPC) which showed "promising signs" of being able to kill coronavirus when exposed to the virus in a lab. The researchers, however, added that mouthwash should not be used to treat coronavirus as it will not reach the respiratory tract or the lungs. 

The lead author on the study, Dr. Richard Stanton said, "This study adds to the emerging literature that several commonly-available types of mouthwash 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."

It is learnt that aclinical trial will be conducted soon to look at whether mouthwash can help in reducing the presence of coronavirus in the saliva of COVID-19 patients. It is expected that the results of the trials would be out by early 2021.

Cardiff University professor David Thomas said that though the initial results were encouraging it is highly unlikely that clinical trial would produce evidence of how to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 from infected person to normal person.

"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," he said.

"The ongoing clinical study will, however, show us how long any effects last, following a single administration of the mouthwash in patients with Covid-19.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," added Thomas.