A coronavirus cure has not yet been discovered by medical experts, but new developments are helping prevent further infections.
According to Fox News' latest report, coronavirus transmission could be prevented with the use of ordinary mouthwash. The study suggests that mouth could have an important role is curving down the infection rate globally.
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The journal Function published the findings of the study, saying that the throat and salivary glands where the virus could easily replicate itself during the early stage of COVID-19 should be studied. It was also clarified that SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus that has an outer lipid membrane derived from the host cell from which the virus attaches.
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The highlight of the study focuses on other enveloped viruses, including coronaviruses, stating that oral rinsing should be considered a potential measure to decrease the chance of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.
Researchers were able to identify and join receptor sites on a cell's membrane that could lead to infection by observing the surface of the enveloped coronaviruses where the spike proteins can be located. The name of the coronavirus comes from the spikes that make them look like "crowns."
COVID-19 infection could be prevented using mouthwash: Scientists claim it could potentially destroy the outer layer of the virus
Several ingredients including povidone-iodine, ethanol, and cetylpyridinium are what makeup mouthwash. However, the scientists pointed out that further research is needed since they are still uncertain how long the components of mouthwash can retain its ability to interact with the biomembranes in the mouth.
"Safe use of mouthwash - as in gargling - has so far not been considered by public health bodies in the UK," said Valerie O'Donnell, the study's lead author and a professor at Cardiff University. She said that some mouthwashes contain enough virucidal ingredients that could effectively destroy lipids in similar enveloped viruses based on test-tube experiments and limited clinical studies.
However, O'Donnel reiterated that people should still adhere to measures provided by medical professionals and local government officials since the study has not been tested yet.
Last February, the World Health Organization (WHO) clarified that there is no strong evidence showing that mouthwash could prevent the infection of the novel coronavirus. Certain microbes can be eliminated by some brands of mouthwash for a few minutes in the mouth's saliva. Listerine, one of the leading brands of mouthwash, also clarified that rinsing your mouth with Listerine does not kill the virus.
