A US study mentions mouthwashes, but also nasal washes and baby shampoos. According to the researchers, these substances could neutralize a certain form of coronavirus. This gives hope to discover a new solution to reduce the transmission rates of the coronavirus.
Not long ago, we mentioned research that found lip balm to be a good ally against the coronavirus. Will mouthwashes, nasal washes and other baby shampoos be among the next tools in the fight against the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus? This is quite possible, according to a study from the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine (USA) published in the Journal of Medical Virology on September 17, 2020. According to the authors, these substances do not represent a miracle solution . However, they may help reduce transmission rates of the virus.
As part of their research, scientists used HCoV-229E. It is a human coronavirus causing mostly mild colds. Nevertheless, this coronavirus is genetically identical to SARS-CoV-2 . In addition, no one used any product in the study. Indeed, the experiments were carried out in the laboratory on cultured human cells. In other words, the possible positive effects have not been tested directly on humans.
The study authors therefore exposed human liver cells in culture to mixed solutions containing the HCoV-229E virus. These solutions contained either liquid mouthwash, nasal wash solution or baby shampoo that had been diluted to 1%. According to the results, each of these substances was effective to disable the virus. Nevertheless, the intensity of this effectiveness is at different degrees. Scientists have explained that 1% diluted baby shampoo coming into contact with the virus for one to two minutes can deactivate it by 99.9% . In the case of mouthwash and nasal wash, the same results are achieved with an exposure of only 30 seconds.
The results of this study are consistent with those of another study conducted in Germany. Published in June 2020, it mentioned a significant reduction in viral load of SARS-CoV-2 after exposure to mouthwash. However, these two works do not allow us to state with certainty that similar results can be observed directly in humans. For the researchers of the US study, it will be necessary to continue clinical trials . The goal? Assess the potential efficacy of the products mentioned in reducing the viral load in Covid-19 patients.
