Dental school scientists from Rutgers School of Dental Medicine have determined that at least two types of mouthwash — Listerine and prescription mouthwash Chlorhexidine — disrupted SARS-CoV-2, the strain of coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, in the lab.

According to the researchers, Listerine and Chlorhexidine reportedly disrupted the virus, preventing it from replicating in a human cell, in just seconds following dilution in the mouthwashes in concentrations equivalent to everyday use.

Source: Bill Branson, National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Of the mouthwashes tested in the lab, researchers determined that the Listerine and Chlorhexidine were the only mouthwashes that had little to no discernable impact on skin cells in the mouth that serve as a barrier against the virus.

Meanwhile, two additional mouthwashes — Betadine, which features Povidone-iodine, and Peroxal, which features hydrogen peroxide — also demonstrated the virus-killing properties of the other mouthwashes but exhibited skin-cell killing behaviors in daily use concentrations.

In addition to skin-cell killing behaviors, the researchers also looked at factors such as mouthwash concentrations and time of contact to reach their conclusions about the various mouthwashes.

The Rutgers’ research follows earlier calls from a team of international scientists for researchers to investigate the possibility that ingredients in over-the-counter mouthwashes could potentially cut the transmission of COVID-19.

The Rutgers’ research appears in the journal Pathogens.