Mouthwash killed coronavirus in experiment
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Certain mouthwashes and nasal rinses demonstrated virucidal properties that can kill a virus similar to the one that causes COVID-19, according to an experimental study.
However, mouthwash should “not to replace wearing masks and social distancing,” Craig Meyers, MS, PhD, a distinguished professor of microbiology, immunology, obstetrics and gynecology at Penn State College of Medicine, told Healio Primary Care.
Meyers was researching how long the disinfectant characteristics of several household products took to work after the product came into contact with a surface. When a first round of tests yielded what he called “surprising results,” Meyers expanded the study’s scope, using human coronavirus 229e (HCoV) as a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2.
“While there are clear differences in the pathogenicity of these viruses, they are in the same virus family, have very similar structures, and are both human respiratory pathogens,” Meyers and colleagues wrote in the Journal of Medical Virology.
In the experiment, the researchers created cells grown from human tissue and then infected them with HCoV. They subjected the virus to several common, over-the-counter mouthwashes and rinses for 30 seconds, 1 minute and 2 minutes, and measured how much of the virus was inactivated.
The researchers reported that:
- Johnson & Johnson’s 1% (Johnson & Johnson Consumer) baby shampoo which was used as a sinus rinse for this study inactivated 99.9% or more of the HCoV at 2 minutes; 99% at 1 minute, and less than 90% and up to 99.9% at 30 seconds.
- Peroxide Sore Mouth (CVS), Orajel Antiseptic Rinse (Church & Dwight Co.) and 1.5% H2O2 (Cumberland-Swan) — all of which listed hydrogen peroxide as their active ingredient — inactivated less than 90% to as much as 99% of the HCoV, depending on contact time.
- Crest Pro‐Health (Proctor & Gamble) mouthwash inactivated 99.9% to more than 99.99% of the HCoV during all three contact times.
- Listerine Ultra (Johnson & Johnson Consumer), Equate (Wal-Mart Co.) and Antiseptic Mouthwash (CVS) inactivated less than 99.9% of the HCoV at 30 seconds.
- Listerine Antiseptic (Johnson & Johnson Consumer) mouthwash which, according to researchers, had the same or similar inactive ingredients as Listerine Ultra, Equate and Antiseptic Mouthwash inactivated more than 99.9% of the virus at 30 seconds.
“We would suggest that these products be an added layer of protection against the infection and spread of COVID-19,” Meyers told Healio Primary Care.
Perspective
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Hana Akselrod, MD, MPH
Meyers and colleagues’ findings are intriguing, innovative and a really interesting area for research that shows a lot of potential.
However, before we start telling our patients to use mouthwash to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, we still need to learn how mouthwashes, nasal rinses and sinus rinses would work in the nose, mouth and throat of individuals infected with COVID-19, not in a simulated environment. We also need to answer questions, like how long would you have to gargle with mouthwash, as well as how often would you have to gargle? Is it safe for people to use mouthwashes and nasal rinses for the purposes of preventing the spread of the coronavirus? Though the science is not there yet, there are several studies trying to answer these questions.
People have been delaying visits to their dentists, risking their oral health and increasing their potential of contracting life-threatening infections or developing endocarditis, because of the pandemic. Dentists are also worried about keeping themselves and their staff safe. If Meyers and colleagues’ findings can be replicated in human studies living domestic environments or during casual contact, it will be safer to provide and receive dental care.
I look forward to more research in this area.
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