Iran Press/America: The preliminary findings — the result of research conducted at Cardiff University — indicate that over-the-counter mouthwashes containing at least 0.07 percent cetyl pyridinium chloride (CPC) showed “promising signs” of being able to destroy the virus when exposed in a lab setting.
Scientists conducting the study mimicked the conditions of a person’s nasal and oral passages in a test tube and used common mouthwash brands including Dentyl and Listerine.
While the results show that mouthwash may help kill the virus in saliva, no evidence indicates it is an effective treatment for COVID-19, as it does not reach the respiratory tract or the lungs, according to the BBC.
“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,” Dr. Nick Claydon, a specialist periodontologist, told the BBC.
The new research supports the findings of another recent study, lead author Dr. Richard Stanton told the network.
“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,” he said.
A clinical trial will determine whether mouthwash will have the same effect in the saliva of COVID-19 patients at the University Hospital of Wales, the BBC reported.
That trial will not provide any leads on how to prevent patient-to-patient transmission, but it could help develop the results of the preliminary research, according to Professor David Thomas of Cardiff University.
“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 told the outlet.
“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.”
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