Gargle with mouthwash daily to reduce COVID-19 transmission risk

A team of German scientists has claimed that COVID-19 virus can be "inactivated" using commercially available mouthwashes.

Research has shown that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is most active in the throat during the early days of infection. Further backing this theory, a new study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases has also revealed that high viral loads can be detected in the oral cavity and throat of some COVID-19 patients. Gargling with commercially available mouthwashes can help reduce this viral load and possibly the risk of coronavirus transmission, the study authors said.

Toni Meister from Ruhr-Universitat Bochum in Germany, one of the study researchers, explained that while gargling with mouthwash cannot inhibit the production of viruses in the cells, it could reduce the viral load in the oral cavity and throat, which pose the greatest potential for infection.

Just 30 seconds of swirling can inactivate the virus

For the findings, the research team tested the effectiveness of eight types of mouthwashes available in pharmacies or drugstores in Germany against the novel coronavirus.

Each mouthwash was then mixed with virus particles and an interfering substance so as to recreate the effect of saliva in the mouth. The researchers shook this mixture for 30 seconds to simulate the effect of gargling. They then used Vero E6 cells, which are particularly receptive to SARS-CoV-2, to determine the virus titer.

All of the mixtures reduced the initial virus titer, but three types of mouthwash were able to reduce it to such an extent that no virus could be detected after an exposure time of 30 seconds the researchers said.

Using mouthwashes could reduce the viral load in the short term where the greatest potential for infection comes from, but these solutions are not suitable for treating COVID-19, they noted.

They suggested further studies to confirm this effect in clinical practice and to know how long it can last.

Can gargling salt water eliminate coronavirus?

Current data suggest that the novel coronavirus stays in the throat for a few days before making its way into the lungs. Therefore, some experts including virologists from the University of Edinburgh believe that gargling with salty water could wash the virus out of your throat, and prevent it from either taking hold or getting down into your lungs.

In their earlier study, the Scottish team found that using saline solutions noticeably reduced common colds by two or more days. They have launched a trail called COVID-19 ELVIS to see if it does the same for COVID-19.

The team's previous study, published last year, suggested that certain human cells were able to use chloride ions a component of sea salt to create hypochlorous acid, which has antiviral properties.

They are hopeful that the hypertonic saline nasal irrigation and gargling may be effective in reducing COVID-19 symptoms and duration of the illness.

However, other experts argue that gargling with saltwater won't help prevent infection.

The novel cornavirus usually enters the body when you breathe in the virus that's floating in the air after it was coughed or sneezed by an infected person. It can also gain entry into our body when we touch our nose with our hands contaminated with the virus. In both cases, the experts said, the virus lands in the part of the throat that gargling can't touch it.

With inputs from IANS