COVID: Mouthwash prevents severe infection, UK doctor suggests

A hospital in Salisbury has been giving mouthwash to its patients and staff to reduce severe COVID. There are plans to distribute over 4,000 bottles of an oral rinse among employees at the Salisbury District Hospital.

Protecting patients

The unconventional move is part of an initiative inspired by the research work of a consultant radiologist at the hospital, Dr Graham Lloyd-Jones, who has proposed that simple oral hygiene measures could reduce severe COVID-19 infection.

It is believed that the oral care product limits the risk of the virus spreading from the mouth and saliva of staff of the facility to a patient’s lungs. According to Dr Lloyd-Jones, the virus could:

...leak from your saliva into the blood vessels of the mouth, especially if you have gum disease or bleeding gums. The lung disease of Covid-19 is in the blood vessels, not in the airways. The virus enters the nose and replicates in the mouth. A single teaspoon of saliva contains 500 million copies of the virus.

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Importance of oral hygiene

Research by Cardiff University shows that mouthwash can kill the virus within just 30 seconds. This applies to mouthwashes that contain 0.07% of cetylpyridinium chloride and ethyl lauroyl arginate.

The mouthwashes being supplied to the hospital’s staff and patients with COVID, contain these active ingredients. The Cardiff research shows that these ingredients alone do not eradicate the virus.

Dr Lloyd-Jones’ research, published in the Journal of Oral Medicine and Dental Research, recommends prioritizing daily oral hygiene and oral healthcare as they have the potential of saving the lives of COVID patients. He said:

There are everyday oral hygiene steps which might reduce the virus in the mouth and saliva, and lower the risk of it spreading to the lungs.