Mouthwash could reduce COVID-19 transmission: Study

Coronavirus transmission could be reduced through the use of some mouthwashes, a new study has claimed. (File/AFP)

• Products containing cetylpyridinium chloride killed pathogens in mouth in under 30 minutes
• Chemical can kill 99.9% of pathogens in case of coronavirus transmission

LONDON: Coronavirus transmission could be reduced through the use of some mouthwashes, a new study has claimed.
Researchers highlighted the potential antiviral effects of mouthwashes containing cetylpyridinium chloride, a chemical that has a “virucidal effect,” the Daily Telegraph reported.
Several popular mouthwashes were tested in a COVID-19 dummy experiment. The study found that products containing the chemical killed pathogens in the mouth in less than 30 seconds.
The chemical can kill 99.9 percent of pathogens in the case of a coronavirus transmission from one person to another, the study suggested.
Prof. Valerie O’Donnell, co-director of the Systems Immunity Research Institute at Cardiff University in Wales, said although the study shows promising signs, further research is necessary.
The study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, was carried out by researchers from Unilever, the British-Dutch multinational headquartered in London.
Earlier research at Cardiff University indicated the potential lipid-killing effects of mouthwash.
Scientists say COVID-19 poses an added risk because of a lipid protection layer that envelops the virus, making it harder to kill. But certain chemicals can attack the barrier, meaning the virus can be effectively neutralized.
“In test-tube experiments and limited clinical studies, some mouthwashes contain enough of known virucidal ingredients to effectively target lipids in similar enveloped viruses,” O’Donnell said earlier this year.