Thailand's Mahidol University creates anti-Covid mouthwash

BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): Mahidol University’s Faculty of Dentistry has patented a new mouthwash that reduces the spread of new coronavirus via patient’s saliva.

The new mouthwash was developed in research with Mahidol University’s Faculty of Tropical Medicine to find a formula that help reduces the spreading of Covid-19.

“We use a safe amount of hydrogen peroxide as an anti-viral agent plus other ingredients that will not irritate the oral cavity,” said Dr Surakit Wisutthiwatthanakorn, director of Mahidol University’s Dentistry Hospital.

Surakit added that the trial phase among patients at the Dentistry Hospital revealed that the mouthwash is capable of killing more than 99.9 per cent of new coronavirus in patients’ saliva.

“For example, if a patient has 100,000 units of Covid-19 virus in their saliva, after using this mouthwash for one minute, only 41 units will still be alive,” he said.

“Furthermore, the mouthwash is able to tackle mutated variants of the virus, as it eliminates the fat layer protecting the virus, rendering it incapable of multiplying.”

The anti-Covid mouthwash does not affect the colour of the user’s teeth and can be stored at room temperature for more than a year, he added.

Mahidol University is planning to distribute the new mouthwash to field hospitals at prisons and military camps, where the risk of infection from patients and medical professionals is high due to limited space and protective gear.