New study reveals crucial information about mouthwash

Mouthwash can kill COVID-19 virus within 30 seconds of exposure to it in a laboratory, a scientific study has found.

The preliminary result comes ahead of a clinical trial into whether using over the counter mouthwash has the potential to reduce the levels of COVID-19 in a patient’s saliva.

The research was conducted at Cardiff University. Mouth wash containing 0.07% of the ingredient cetylpyridinum chloride(CPC) showed promising signs of reducing COVID-19.

The report- The Virucidal Efficacy of Oral Rinse Components Against SARS-CoV-2 – In Vitro- is yet to be peer reviewed. These findings support another recently published study which identified that CPC-based mouthwash are effective in reducing the viral load of coronavirus.

Scientists conducted tests in a laboratory mimicking the conditions of a person’s nasopharynx and oropharynx passages, using mouthwash brands such as Dentyl.

A clinical trial will next examine how effective mouthwash in reducing the viral load in the saliva of COVD-19 patients at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. The findings will be published in early 2021.

Professor David Thomas from Cardiff University, who leads the clinical trial said that more clinical research is needed even though the initial results were encouraging.

If positive results are reflected in Cardiff University’s clinical trial, CPC based mouth wash could become an important addition to people’s routine, together with handwashing, physical distancing and wearing masks, both now and future.