A new study conducted by researchers at the Penn State College of Medicine has found that a common dental product can inactivate human coronaviruses.
According to Fox News, the results of the study published in the Journal of Medical Virology showed that mouthwash and oral rinses were effective.
The researchers tested various oral and nasopharyngeal rinses — including a 1% solution of baby shampoo, a neti pot, peroxide sore-mouth cleansers, and common household mouthwashes — to determine how well they inactivated human coronaviruses.
The results showed the baby shampoo solution, “which is often used by head and neck doctors to rinse the sinuses,” was particularly effective. That solution inactivated “greater than 99.9% of human coronavirus after a two-minute contact time,” the researchers said.
The report claimed that mouthwash and oral rinses were also efficacious, stating: “Many inactivated greater than 99.9% of virus after only 30 seconds of contact time and some inactivated 99.99% of the virus after 30 seconds.”
