Mouthwash can kill COVID-19 in 30 seconds: A new study

A Cardiff University study reveals that a mouthwash containing 0.07% cetypyridinium chloride can fight coronavirus.

An over-the-counter mouthwash can kill the coronavirus within 30 seconds of exposure, according to one study.
Scientists at Cardiff University found that a mouthwash containing at least 0.07% cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) showed “promising signs” of reduced virus transmission.

Their preliminary report, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, supports a study published last week that found that a mouthwash containing CPC helps reduce the viral load of people infected with the coronavirus.

It precedes a clinical trial on patients at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff to see if mouthwash can reduce the coronavirus in a patient’s saliva. The results are expected to be published in early 2021.

Dentyl is the only British brand of mouthwash to be part of the clinical trial led by Professor David Thomas of Cardiff University.

“While this in vitro study is very encouraging and a positive step forward, there is now a clear need for more clinical research,” Dr. Thomas told the PA news agency, quoted by the Independent newspaper.

“We need to understand whether the effect of over-the-counter mouthwashes on the COVID-19 virus obtained in the laboratory can be replicated in patients, and we look forward to completing our clinical trial in early 2021”.

A breath of fresh air

Dr. Nick Claydon, a specialized periodontologist, said he believes that mouthwash can become an important addition to the fight against coronavirus with “hand washing, physical removal and wearing masks, both now and in the future”.

There are more than 54 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide and restrictions have been tightened in the United States and Europe to curb the spiral of infection.

There is promising news in the race for a COVID-19 vaccine as U.S. biotech company Moderna said Monday that preliminary data from an ongoing phase three study of its investigational vaccine showed it was 94.5% effective.

The news follows last week’s announcement by U.S. drug giant Pfizer that results from the phase three trial for the COVID-19 vaccine it is developing with BioNTech in Germany showed it was more than 90 percent effective.

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