Mouthwash and baby shampoo may delay COVID-19 spread, study finds

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• A new study published in the Journal of Medical Virology revealed that certain oral antiseptics and mouthwashes may have the capacity to hinder the spread of COVID-19.
• Solutions containing strains of human coronavirus were exposed to products like 1 percent baby shampoo, and peroxide sore-mouth cleansers for 30 seconds, 1 minute and 2 minutes.
• Findings showed that most of these products can effectively reduce the viral load in an infected person’s mouth in at least two minutes, says the Penn State College of Medicine research team.  

A new study from Penn State College of Medicine that appears in the Journal of Medical Virology suggests that over-the-counter products like nasal and oral rinses may have the ability to neutralize human coronaviruses.

Craig Meyers, distinguished professor of microbiology, immunology, obstetrics, and gynecology and his team of researchers tested various products including a neti pot, mouthwashes, to determine how much coronavirus strains in a person’s mouth can they reduce.

Test results indicated that most of these products can effectively lower the viral load within two minutes which may impede the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

“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 part of people’s daily routines,” says Meyers.

The researchers recreated the interaction of the virus in the nasal and oral cavities with the rinses and mouthwashes. The nasal and oral cavities are the two major points of entry and exit for human coronaviruses.  Solutions containing human coronavirus strains which served as a genetically similar alternative for SARS-CoV-2 were introduced to all of the cleansing products for 30 seconds, one minute and two minutes.

Because the exterior envelopes of their viruses and SARS-CoV-2 are genetically similar, Meyer’s team surmised that a similar amount of SARS-CoV-2 may also be deactivated upon exposure to the rinses.

In addition, the 1% baby shampoo solution, which the team says were often used by doctors to rinse out their sinuses after being in contact with infected patients, disabled over 99.9% of human coronaviruses after 2 minutes of contact time.

Several of the mouthwash and gargling products also rendered 99.9 percent of coronaviruses inactive after 30 seconds while some totally stopped 99.99 percent of coronavirus.

“People who test positive for COVID-19 and return home to quarantine may possibly transmit the virus to those they live with,” says Meyers, noting that most dentists as well as other health workers are continuously at 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,” Meyer said.

Future studies may include researchers expanding their investigation of products to clinical trials that involve patients who tested positive for COVID-19.

Source: Studyfinds.org