Virucidal Properties of Molecular Iodine Oral Rinse Against SARS-CoV-2

Saliva is an active carrier of SARS-CoV-2, and antimicrobial mouthrinses can be rendered less effective by saliva. Aerosol-generating procedures are commonplace in dentistry, and preprocedural mouthrinses and/or irrigation with effective SARS-CoV-2 virucidals should be tested in the presence of saliva.

With the use of an in vitro virucidal suspension test, molecular iodine oral rinse was assayed against SARS-CoV-2 with and without saliva after 30- and 60-second exposures to the rinse. Log10 infectivity and consequent virus reductions were calculated at each timepoint.

Virus load reductions with saliva were 4.75 log10 after 30 seconds of exposure and ≥5.25 log10 after 60 seconds. Without saliva, infectivity was reduced by 5.00 log10 and ≥5.75 log10 after 30 and 60 seconds, respectively.

Molecular iodine oral rinse appears effective in reducing SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in vitro and, to date, appears to be the most effective oral rinse tested both in the presence of and without human saliva.