Since the start of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, Americans have wondered what they can do to protect themselves from the deadly virus. The White House Coronavirus Task Force, including Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, repeatedly told us to stay home as much as possible, wear a mask when out in public and practice social distancing. But, according to a new study conducted by Cardiff University, a common household product could potentially prevent a person from catching the virus.
In its study, the Wales university found that if a person gargled with mouthwashes containing at least 0.07 percent cetypyridinium chloride (CPC) within 30 seconds of being exposed to the virus, there were "promising signs" that they could combat the virus.
According to the Evening Standard, the study was conducted in a lab and mimicked similar conditions to a human's nasal passage.
"Whilst these mouthwashes effectively eradicate the virus in the laboratory, we need to see if they work in patients and this is the point of our ongoing clinical study. It is important to point out the study won't give us any direct evidence on viral transmission between patients, that would require a different type of study on a much larger scale. The ongoing clinical study will, however, show us how long any effects last, following a single administration of the mouthwash in patients with Covid-19," the study's leader, Professor David Thomas, explained.
"Although this in-vitro study is very encouraging and is a positive step, more clinical research is now clearly needed," he said."We need to understand if the effect of over-the-counter mouthwashes on the Covid-19 virus achieved in the laboratory can be reproduced in patients, and we look forward to completing our clinical trial in early 2021."
Thomas pointed out that the study could be important in making recommendations for people moving forward. If it turns out the mouthwash can make a difference, people would be encouraged to incorporate it into their frequent hand washing and mask-wearing.
The study has yet to be peer reviewed.