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COVID-19 mouthwash study underway

The Research Team at York Hospital are looking for volunteers to take part in their clinical trial to see whether using mouthwash can inactivate the COVID-19 virus.

A previous study between York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which manages York Hospital, and Public Health England (PHE) has proven that multiple commercially available mouthwashes reduce the level of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in a laboratory setting. This trial is to investigate how well the mouthwashes perform in the real world and how long the effects last for.

The trial is open to all York residents over the age of 16 years, who have received a positive PCR test for COVID-19 in the last 72 hours.

The trial, which is taking place at York Hospital, invites volunteers to rinse their mouth using a mouthwash and then provide saliva samples at different times during a one hour period. These samples are then analysed to see if the COVID-19 virus is present and at what levels.

Mr David Seymour, Consultant in Oral Rehabilitation, explained: “The mouthwashes, that we found can kill coronavirus in a laboratory is an exciting development, which we are now studying in patients. This will tell us how well the mouthwashes perform in the real world and also how long the effects last. This simple procedure could be a useful mitigation against coronavirus for the dental sector and potentially other close contact sectors.”

If you can give an hour to help with this important research, contact the Research Team by calling 07342 062 512 or emailing mouthwash@york.nhs.uk to arrange an appointment.

08 July 2021

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