Abstract

A REVIEW ON THE EFFICACY OF MOUTHWASHES IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19

Dr. Swati George*, Dr. Suchetha A., Dr. Divya Bhat, Dr. Sapna N., Dr. Apoorva S. M., Dr. Darshan B. M.

Abstract

In late 2019 a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 arose causing Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with its epicenter in Wuhan China. In early experiments pertaining to the SARS-CoV-2 infection, viral titres borne in the saliva and nasal mucosa of infected individuals were greater than 107/ml. Reduction in the cross infections require the minimisation of these titres in two of the key areas from where droplets and aerosols containing the virus are expectorated, the first being the saliva and the second; the lower respiratory tract. It is therefore imperative to kill viruses entering the upper aerodigestive tract before it infects the host. Povidone-iodine (PVP-I) disinfectant has superior anti-viral activity in comparison to other antiseptics, proven in vitro to be an extremely effective virucide against severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV). Oxidising mouthwashes and Hydrogen peroxide weaken the infectivity of bacterial cells. Ongoing studies have hypothesized their efficacy against the viral load in the oral cavity. Chlorhexidine gluconate has always been the de-facto mouthwash in private dental practices. In, in-vitro studies Chlorhexidine was as efficacious as 70% ethanol though longitudinal studies are required to claim these hypotheses. The aim of this brief review is to highlight the efficacy of the commercially available mouthwashes and to ascertain their importance in minimizing the viral load in the oropharynx which would ensure a first step at personal hygiene maintainence and restrict droplet transmission.

Keywords: Oxidising mouthwashes and Hydrogen peroxide weaken the infectivity of bacterial cells.