Dr Suman Kapur, senior professor and dean (institute-wide) at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, Hyderabad campus has claimed that a mouthwash formulated by him can prove to be effective in containing the spread of coronavirus.
According to a New Indian Express report, Kapur claimed that the formulation for the mouthwash is based on the nutraceuticals approved by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and is made from plant-based ingredients.
According to the news report, it can be mass-produced as it is made out of natural ingredients.
According to the professor, as the mouthwash helps in sanitising the affected person's mouth, so that the droplets from the mouth will not transmit the virus while he sneezes or coughs.
This claim appears to be in line with the principle of frequent hand washing recommended by both World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a measure in preventing the spread. Studies indicate that hygiene is the most efficient and cost-effective way to control disease propagation.
As sales of alcohol-based hand sanitisers skyrocket in markets across the world in the wake of the spread of coronavirus, it remains to be seen if this claims by the professor would lead to the production of a preventive tool that would come handy in the fight against COVID-19.
