Monitored
population-based trials could be undertaken with appropriate commercially
available brands, the researchers added.
A group of
scientists in Britain has raised the potential of mouthwash to halt the spread
of the novel coronavirus.
The scientists
said previous studies have shown that agents commonly found in mouthwashes –
such as low amounts of ethanol, povidone-iodine and cetylpyridinium – could
disrupt the lipid membranes of several enveloped viruses.
However, they
stress that it is not yet known whether this could also be the case for this
new coronavirus, advising people to continue to follow Government guidance.
SARS-CoV-2 is
an enveloped virus with an outer fatty (lipid) membrane.
However,
according to the researchers, so far there has been no discussion about the
potential role of damaging this membrane as a possible way to inactivate the
virus in the throat.
They have
therefore called for urgent research into whether readily available mouthwash
could be effective in reducing the spread of coronavirus, Mirror reported.
The
researchers assessed existing mouthwash formulations for their potential
ability to disrupt the SARS-CoV-2 lipid envelope – and suggested that several
deserve clinical evaluation.
Publishing
their review in the Function journal, the authors wrote: “We highlight that
already published research on other enveloped viruses, including coronaviruses,
directly supports the idea that further research is needed on whether oral
rinsing could be considered as a potential way to reduce transmission of
SARS-CoV-2.”
They said
research to determine the potential of this approach could include evaluating
existing – or specifically tailored – formulations of mouthwash in the lab and
then in clinical trials.
Recently a
top UK dentist also suggested that people people should brush their teeth
before leaving home as it offers protection against the virus.
No comments:
Post a Comment