Individuals who regularly rinse their mouths with commercially available mouthwashes can reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
A study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases states that high viral loads can be detected in the oral cavity and throats of those who have COVID-19.
With regular use of mouthwashes, these would help reduce the viral load and experts estimate that this could also possibly reduce the risk of local COVID-19 transmissions in the short term.
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However, they also warned the public that this isn’t a foolproof way to treat COVID-19 infections, nor is it a guaranteed way to protect individuals against the virus.
“Gargling with mouthwash cannot inhibit the production of viruses in the cells, but could reduce the viral load in the short term where the greatest potential for infection comes from, namely in the oral cavity and throat — and this could be useful in certain situations, such as at the dentist or during the medical care of Covid-19 patients,” explains Toni Meister, one of the group members of the study.
Reports from Science Daily reveal that all of the tested preparations reduced the initial virus titer.
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It furthered that three rounds of doing mouthwash reduced it to such an extent that no virus could be detected after an exposure time of 30 seconds.
Experts stress that further studies are required to assess whether this effect is confirmed in clinical practice and to check how long it lasts.
