Mouthwashes can be a useful defense against the novel coronavirus, killing the virus within 30 seconds found a lab experiment according to a study by researchers at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom.

The findings of the study which showed promising signs of the use of mouthwash against different pathogens were in line with previous studies on mouthwashes that claimed a similar outcome.

Also read: Mouthwash can reduce Covid-19 viral load: Study

Both the studies, cited in the India Today report, found that cetyl pyridinium chloride (CPC), used in mouthwash, can eradicate coronavirus in a lab.

The researchers also pointed out that it is still not clear whether mouthwash can be used for the treatment of Covid-19 as it requires mouthwash to clear the virus from the lungs as well, which is not possible in the natural course.

“During a 30-second exposure, two rinses containing cetylpyridinium chloride and a third with ethanol/ethyl lauroyl arginate eliminated the live virus,” the authors of the latest study said.

The researchers are set to conduct clinical trials to figure out whether mouthwash helps to reduce levels of the coronavirus in the saliva of Covid-19 patients at the hospital. The results will likely come early next year.

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