A recent study suggests certain oral antiseptics and mouthwashes may have the ability to inactivate human coronavirus.
The findings are published in the Journal of Medical Virology. It indicates that some of these products might help in reducing the transmission rates amid the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic.
Study researcher Craig Meyers from the Penn State University in the US, said, “While we wait for a vaccine to be developed, methods to reduce transmission are needed. The products we tested are readily available and often already a part of people’s daily routines,”
Researchers discovered that these solutions potentially ‘inactivate’ human coronaviruses that have a structure similar to the SARS-CoV-2 virus behind COVID-19. After 30 seconds, among all oral rinses, many of those tested inactivated 99.99% of the virus. However, when the incubation period exceeds 1 or 2 minutes, the virus was completely wiped out.
Meyers adds, “People who test positive for COVID-19 and return home to quarantine may possibly transmit the virus to those they live with,”
Meyers added, “Certain professions including dentists and other health care workers are at a constant risk of exposure. Clinical trials are needed to determine if these products can reduce the amount of virus COVID-positive patients or those with high-risk occupations may spread while talking, coughing or sneezing. Even if the use of these solutions could reduce transmission by 50%, it would have a major impact.”
