According to recent research, mouthwash is capable of providing some extent of protection against COVID-19. They claim that the chemicals in the mouthwash can kill the virus before it can infect cells in the body.
Experts say that coronaviruses belong to the class of 'enveloped viruses, which means that they are covered in a protective layer which is defenseless against some chemicals. The researchers say that mouthwash can destroy the outer membrane of the virus, preventing its further spread in the mouth and throat.
Although the World Health Organization already said that there is no evidence that mouthwash will protect you from the new coronavirus, scientists say that there is an urgent need to test the effectiveness of mouthwash in clinical trials.
The authors of the study from Cardiff University say that oral rinses are an 'under-researched' area of great clinical need, but do not claim that current commercially-available mouthwash prevents COVID-19.
They add that additional research looking into mouthwash chemicals would be beneficial to gather more information on their study published in the journal Function.
The team is assisted by medical experts, virologists, and lipid specialists from Cardiff University's School of Medicine, together with Cambridge's Babraham Institute and the Universities of Colorado, Ottawa, Nottingham, and Barcelona.
Professor O'Donnell, the lead author and co-director of Cardiff University's Systems Immunity Research Institute, says that gargling mouthwash has not yet been considered by public health officials in the United States Kingdom.
He adds that in some lab test-tube experiments, some mouthwashes proved to have virucidal components that target lipids akin to enveloped viruses. However, what they don't know is whether commercially-produced mouthwashes of today provide combative properties against SARS-CoV-2's lipid membrane.
Mouthwash Won't Protect You from Coronavirus
According to the researchers, common ingredients of mouthwashes such as hydrogen peroxide, povidone-iodine, chlorhexidine, and cetylpyridinium chloride, all have the potential to prevent infection and several 'deserve' clinical analysis and evaluation.
The researchers believe that these chemicals can disrupt the outer lipid membrane of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19.
So far, the researchers said there had been 'no discussion' about the potential role of damaging the fatty membrane as a possible way to disable the virus.
The WHO has already cleared out the idea that mouthwash can prevent the infection of the new coronavirus. According to the organization, some mouthwash brands can eliminate specific pathogens in the mouth's saliva for a few minutes. However, this does not mean they protect you from 2019-nCoV infection, they added.
Listerine, one of the biggest and most notorious mouthwash brands, says that none of its products have been tested against any coronavirus strains. The company wrote on their website that their mouthwash is not intended to be used, nor would it be helpful as a hand sanitizer or surface disinfectant.
Some mouthwashes contain ingredients similar to the coronavirus-killing hand cleaner, alcohol. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention argues that a hand sanitizer contains at least 60 percent alcohol concentration for adequate protection, while Listerine's products only hold 20 percent of alcohol.
Furthermore, the WHO also cautions that drinking pure alcohol, bleach, or methanol is extremely dangerous and potentially fatal. They add that these substances do not cure nor prevent COVID-19.
