Rinse and Repeat? Mouthwash Might Mitigate COVID-19 Spread
Damian McNamara
October 21, 2020
Multiple mouthwash and oral rinse products wiped out a human coronavirus closely related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a laboratory comparison study.
Listerine Antiseptic led the list of most effective mouthwashes for inactivating the coronavirus. Interestingly, a 1% nasal rinse solution of Johnson's Baby Shampoo also worked, eliminating up to 99.9% of the viral load in the in vitro experiments.
In contrast, use of a neti pot nasal solution yielded no decrease in virus levels.
The study was published in the Journal of Medical Virology.
Because the mouthwash and hydrogen peroxide oral rinses in the study are widely available and easy to use, "I would recommend the use of the rinses on top of wearing mask and social distancing. This could add a layer of protection for yourself and others," lead study author Craig Meyers, PhD, professor of microbiology and immunology and obstetrics and gynecology, Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania, told Medscape Medical News...