Mouthwash Can Kill Coronavirus in 30 Seconds, New Study Suggests

Mouthwash could be a part of people's daily routine to fight the coronavirus after a study suggested it could combat the virus in 30 seconds.

According to a BBC report, scientists at Cardiff University found some "promising signs" that even an over-the-counter mouthwash can help kill the coronavirus in human saliva.

The university is planning on conducting a clinical trial to confirm this theory. But for now, the report titled "The Virucidal Efficacy of Oral Rinse Components Against SARS-CoV-2 In Vitro" has been released and is available through the open-access repository BioRxiv.

It stemmed from 12 weeks' worth of studying that found that mouthwashes contain at least 0.07 percent of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) that may be able to kill off the virus.

The scientists mimicked the conditions of a person's naso/oropharynx passage and used different mouthwash brands like Listerine and UK mouthwash brand Dentyl.

The clinical trials will take place at the University Hospital of Wales, and results are expected to come out by early 2021.

So far, the study's findings appear to be "very valuable," Dr. Nick Claydon, a specialist periodontologist, told The Independent.

He said if the initial results reflect that of the clinical trials, "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."

According to Al Jazeera, the results have not yet been peer-reviewed, but it did support an earlier study that CPC could help in reducing the viral load of people infected by the coronavirus.

The study also supports emerging literature that claims several common types of mouthwash designed to fight gum disease can also inactivate the SARS-CoV2 and other related coronaviruses, said lead author Dr. Richard Stanton.

He also clarified that the study's results were only based on conditions designed in a test tube and not on real patients.

Mouthwash Not Proven As Coronavirus Treatment

The early results of this study do not mean mouthwash can serve as a cure against the coronavirus. Research results only suggested that using mouthwash may help kill the virus in a person's saliva.

Since mouthwash can't reach the lungs and other parts of a person's respiratory tract, there is insufficient evidence to say that it can be used as a coronavirus treatment.

Apart from that, the study was confined to a laboratory setting and was not tested on people.

Professor David Thomas from Cardiff University said: "Although this in-vitro study is very encouraging and is a positive step, more clinical research is now clearly needed."

Thomas added that to understand the effects of over-the-counter mouthwashes on the coronavirus, the same optimistic results also have to be reproduced in patients.

Stanton urged people to continue following preventive measures like hand washing and social distancing.

COVID-19 has already infected more than 54 million people all over the globe. Restrictions from the U.S. and Europe have gone up to curb the spiral of infections.

Apart from news on a possible vaccine, the possibility of over-the-counter items helping curb the spread of the virus is a breath of fresh air for many.