Last Updated on September 15, 2020 by Team THIP
Quick Take
A Facebook post claims that mouthwash helps killing Coronavirus. While WHO has clearly mentioned that there is no evidence of mouthwash working against Coronavirus, a few studies that show that mouthwash may act as a virucidal and reduce the viral load in the oral cavity of a COVID-19 patient. We label this message as Half True.
The Claim
A post shared on Facebook by a user named Kaye Ross claims that mouthwash kills coronavirus and can be the cure for COVID-19. The archived version of the post can be checked here.
Fact Check
What does World Health Organization (WHO) say about mouthwash’s efficacy on Coronavirus?
WHO website clearly mentions that there is no evidence that using mouthwash will help prevent one self from the new Coronavirus.
Is there any research done to check the effectiveness of mouthwash against Coronavirus?
There is research done titled “Virucidal Efficacy of Different Oral Rinses Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2” which was published on The Journal of Infectious Diseases on 29 July 2020.
The findings suggest that some mouthwash helps in reducing the viral load in the mouth during COVID19. This means the number of viruses in a COVID-19 patient’s mouth decreases by using mouthwash. While this does not cure the patient, but given that the new Coronavirus spreads when the virus is released while sneezing, coughing or talking, this has a potential to reduce transmission. The researchers of the study has recommended, ‘the evaluation of selected formulations in clinical context’. Further clinical research is being conducted in this aspect.
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