Mouthwashes with CPC Reduce the Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 Variants In Vitro

Oral mouthwashes decrease the infectivity of several respiratory viruses including SARS-CoV-2. However, precise agents with antiviral activity in these oral rinses and their exact mechanism action remain unknown. Here we show that cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), a quaternary ammonium compound many mouthwashes, reduces SARS-CoV-2 by inhibiting viral fusion step target cells after disrupting integrity envelope. We also found CPC-containing mouth decreased more than thousand times vitro, while corresponding vehicles had no effect. This was effective for different variants, B.1.1.7 or Alpha variant originally identified United Kingdom, presence sterilized saliva. could therefore represent cost-effective measure to reduce saliva, aiding transmission from infected individuals regardless variants they are with.