Virucidal activity of CPC-containing oral rinses against SARS-CoV-2 variants and are active in the presence of human saliva

The role of human saliva in aerosol-based transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has highlighted the need to understand the potential of oral hygiene products to inactivate the virus. Here we examined the efficacy of mouthwashes containing cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) or chlorhexidine (CHX) in inactivating SARS-CoV-2. After 30 seconds contact under standard aqueous conditions CPC mouthwashes achieved a ≥4.0log10 PFU/mL reduction in SARS-CoV-2 (USA-WA1/2020) titres whereas a comparable product containing CHX achieved