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Some types of mouthwashes have been shown to be effective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes covid-19, in a study from the University of Cardiff (UK). The authors found “promising signs” in vitro – and I hope the results of the clinical trials prove it.
The study, The virucidal efficacy of the mouthwash components against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, not yet peer-reviewed: it is available in prepublication at site bioRxiv and was submitted for publication in a scientific journal.
In the study, the authors tested seven mouthwashes of different brands that were exposed to the virus for periods of 30 seconds, in a laboratory test whose conditions were designed to simulate the oral / nasal cavity in a test tube. And what they concluded was that elixirs containing at least 0.007% cetylpyridinium chloride showed promise in an attempt to inactivate the virus.
The researchers realized that the “exact formulation” of each elixir is important in evaluating their efficacy and suggested that “individual formulations” be “empirically tested for antiviral activity.” That is, the results of each elixir should not be extrapolated to others: each must be individually tested to determine its effectiveness. Among the seven brands tested, only one is sold in Portugal: Listerine. Two products of this brand were tested and “Listerine Advanced proved superior”, capable of “rendering SARS-CoV-2 completely inactive”.
In the study, the authors did not declare any conflict of interest: they acknowledge having received help from Venture Life Group (owner of Dentyl, oral hygiene brand) to have “information on the formulation of mouthwashes”, but they were not paid by the company .
Although the first conclusions are encouraging, it is necessary “to see if they work in patients and that is the goal of the next clinical trial,” said David Thomas, a professor at Cardiff University and another of the study’s lead authors, cited by the BBC. . A clinical trial, to be carried out at the University Hospital of Wales, will determine whether the elixir helps reduce levels of the virus in the saliva of covid-19-positive patients and how long these effects last, and the first results should be published in next year.
The use of these substances is limited to prevention; they do not serve as a treatment, since they do not reach the lungs, the authors warn.
Nick Claydon, a dentist quoted by the BBC, says that these results are “of great value” and that these types of elixirs can become “an important part of people’s routine, along with hand washing, physical distance and the use of a mask, both now and in the future ”.
University of Pennsylvania study with similar results
The Cardiff University study cites a previous study from the University of Pennsylvania (USA), which had already had very similar results with Listerine mouthwashes. This first study, published in September in the scientific journal Journal of Medical Virology, has tested various types of mouthwashes and mouthwash solutions and suggests that they may be effective against human coronaviruses. Here’s an important difference between the two studies: the University of Pennsylvania studies focused on the effects on human coronaviruses, but not specifically on SARS-CoV-2, which causes covid-19.
Elixirs and mouthwash solutions can be helpful in “lowering the viral load” of an infected person and helping prevent the spread of the virus, the press release sent by the University of Pennsylvania reads. “Nasal solutions and mouthwashes, which have a direct impact on the largest sites for the reception and transmission of human coronaviruses (HCoV), can provide an additional level of protection against the virus. [que causa a covid-19]”, In turn, it reads in the study.
Products evaluated include “a 1% baby shampoo solution,” nasal wash solutions, Betadine, and mouthwashes. They concluded that these substances, which are readily available on commercial surfaces, were able to inactivate these types of viruses in the laboratory, which may suggest that these products may have the potential to reduce the spread of viruses by people who are positive. to disease. covid-19, adds the press release.
For example, Johnson’s baby shampoo (which has already been tested and found safe for chronic sinusitis) deactivated 99.9% of the human coronavirus with a two-minute exposure. Rinse products like Listerine were “highly effective in inactivating more than 99.9% of infectious viruses, even during a contact time of 30 seconds,” the study read.
“While we wait for a vaccine, methods are needed to reduce transmission,” said Craig Meyers, professor of microbiology and immunology and one of the study’s lead authors. “The products we test are readily available and are often already part of people’s daily routine.”
“People who test positive for COVID-19 and return home from quarantine can transmit the virus to the people they live with,” Meyers adds. “Certain professions, including dentists and other healthcare professionals, are at constant risk of exposure. Clinical trials are needed to determine whether these products can reduce the amount of viruses that covid-positive or high-risk professions can spread by talking, coughing, or sneezing. Even if the use of these solutions reduces transmission by 50%, they would already have a big impact ”.
