Mouthwash can kill COVID-19 in 30 seconds: Study

Over-the-counter mouthwash can kill coronavirus within 30 seconds of exposure, a study has found.

Scientists at Cardiff University discovered mouthwash containing at least 0.07 percent cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) showed “promising signs” of reducing transmission of the virus.

Their preliminary report, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, supports a study published last week that found mouthwash containing CPC helps in reducing the viral load of people infected with the coronavirus.

It comes ahead of a clinical trial on patients at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff to find out whether mouthwash can reduce coronavirus in a patient’s saliva. The findings are expected to be published in early 2021.

Dentyl is the only UK mouthwash brand that is part of the clinical trial led by Professor David Thomas from Cardiff University.

“Although this in-vitro study is very encouraging and is a positive step, more clinical research is now clearly needed,” Dr Thomas told the PA news agency, as quoted by the Independent newspaper.

“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, and we look forward to completing our clinical trial in early 2021.”

Breath of fresh air

Dr Nick Claydon, a specialist periodontologist, said he believed mouthwash can become an important addition to fighting coronavirus along with “handwashing, physical distancing and wearing masks, both now and in the future”.

There are more than 54 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally and restrictions have been ratcheted up across the US and Europe to curb spiralling infections.

There is promising news from the race for a COVID-19 vaccine as US biotech firm Moderna on Monday said preliminary data from a continuing phase three study of its experimental vaccine showed it to be 94.5-percent effective.

The news followed on from last week’s announcement from US drug giant Pfizer that phase three trial results for the COVID-19 vaccine it is developing with Germany’s BioNTech showed it to be more than 90-percent effective.