Can a well known antiseptic help fight off the SARS-CoV-2 virus?

What are the scientists saying about how you might be able to treat yourself to minimize the risk of infection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus? The papers I want to review in today's Livestream demonstrate that oral antiseptics like povidone-iodine are effective at inactivating the coronavirus. The effect works at a variety of concentrations after 60 seconds of contact time. The research papers show this works as oral and nasal rinses. This is an important show - since these papers might help you or a loved one. Of course, speak to your medical doctor or other health care practitioner - but from an infection control perspective, these research results are very persuasive. Use masks and consider adopting the scientific results detailed in these papers into your own harm minimization strategy during the pandemic. This is not an alternative to testing nor accessing your medical doctor if you have any symptoms that could be COVID-related, but this common antiseptic could help and that’s the point of today’s Livestream.

 

1. In Vitro Efficacy of Povidone-Iodine Nasal And Oral Antiseptic Preparations Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).Jesse Pelletier, Belachew Tessema, Jonna Westover, Samantha Frank, Seth Brown, Joseph Capriotti. medRxiv 2020.05.25.20110239; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.05.25.20110239. (MAY 26th 2020)

 

2. Khan MM, Parab SR, Paranjape M. Repurposing 0.5% povidone iodine solution in otorhinolaryngology practice in Covid 19 pandemic [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jun 18]. Am J Otolaryngol. 2020;41(5):102618. doi:10.1016/j.amjoto.2020.102618 (JUNE 5TH 2020)

 

3. Anderson DE, Sivalingam V, Kang AEZ, et al. Povidone-Iodine Demonstrates Rapid In Vitro Virucidal Activity Against SARS-CoV-2, The Virus Causing COVID-19 Disease [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jul 8]. Infect Dis Ther. 2020;1-7. doi:10.1007/s40121-020-00316-3 (JUNE 2ND 2020)

 

4. Dev Kumar G, Mishra A, Dunn L, et al. Biocides and Novel Antimicrobial Agents for the Mitigation of Coronaviruses. Front Microbiol. 2020;11:1351. Published 2020 Jun 23. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2020.01351 (23RD JUNE 2020)

 

5. Contini C, Enrica Gallenga C, Neri G, Maritati M, Conti P. A new pharmacological approach based on remdesivir aerosolized administration on SARS-CoV-2 pulmonary inflammation: A possible and rational therapeutic application [published online ahead of print, 2020 May 24]. Med Hypotheses. 2020;144:109876. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109876 (22ND MAY 2020)

 

6. Funk CD, Laferrière C, Ardakani A. A Snapshot of the Global Race for Vaccines Targeting SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Pharmacol. 2020;11:937. Published 2020 Jun 19. doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00937

 

7. Potential Medicines to Treat COVID-9. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/Potential%20medicines%20to%20treat%20COVID-19%20%2815%20May%202020%29.pdf

 

8. Bigliardi, P. L., Alsagoff, S. A. L., El-Kafrawi, H. Y., Pyon, J.-K., Wa, C. T. C., & Villa, M. A. (2017). Povidone iodine in wound healing: A review of current concepts and practices. International Journal of Surgery, 44, 260–268. doi:10.1016/j.ijsu.2017.06.073