As soon as the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a global pandemic, a slew of supposed “cures” and “preventative measures” surfaced online. One of the earliest was a self-test for COVID-19 that suggested holding your breath for ten seconds each morning. If you could do it, you were supposedly in the clear. I confess, there were mornings I tried this, feeling a wave of relief when I succeeded. My rational brain knew better than to trust medical advice from a distant relative’s email, but my anxious, desperate side thought, “What’s the harm?”
The harm, as we eventually learned, is that the ability to hold your breath doesn’t determine if you’re infected. COVID-19 can be present without causing breathing difficulties. If you’re avoiding testing until you can hold your breath for ten seconds, you’re likely waiting too long.
Since those early days, an array of dubious COVID-19 remedies has emerged: gargling with salt water, taking unapproved anti-malaria medications, and even injecting bleach. Please, don’t do any of these.
Recently, two new “cures” have been circulating that involve using baby shampoo as a nasal rinse and mouthwash as an oral rinse, claiming they can inactivate the virus by disrupting its membrane. These ideas stem from a study published in the Journal of Medical Virology, which tested various nasal rinses and mouthwashes on cells infected with common coronaviruses. The study found that “a 1 percent baby shampoo nasal rinse can inactivate the virus after two minutes; with antiseptic mouthwash, 30 seconds.”
However, please refrain from squirting baby shampoo up your nose or thinking you’re immune to COVID-19 because you’ve rinsed with mouthwash. These claims are not founded on robust or credible research. While the study’s findings are intriguing, they come with clear limitations acknowledged by the authors.
First, the study tested these rinses against a common coronavirus, not the unique strain that causes COVID-19. Second, it was conducted in a controlled laboratory setting, which does not reflect the complexities of the human nasal and oral environments. The human body is far more intricate than a simple petri dish. Lastly, the authors indicated that the act of rinsing could either help reduce viral load or diminish the effectiveness of the rinse by shortening the contact time with the virus.
The fact is, we don’t fully understand the implications of this study yet. Dr. Amelia Carter from the Local Health Network stated, “There might be some theoretical, minuscule benefit. However, in terms of actually stopping transmission, it’s interesting information, but it’s not practical at this time.” This early research could lead to breakthroughs, but it’s far too soon to say.
In the meantime, baby shampoo and mouthwash should only be used as directed. For instance, the manufacturers of popular mouthwash emphasize on their website that their product has not been tested against any strains of coronavirus and is not intended to be used as a hand sanitizer or surface disinfectant.
The key takeaway from this study is that it is preliminary and fraught with limitations. Nasal rinses and mouthwashes are not replacements for proven health measures like social distancing and wearing masks. The real danger of these unverified remedies is that they provide a false sense of security, potentially leading people to behave more recklessly than they would otherwise.
We all want to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities from this virus. We long for some semblance of control in our lives and the hope of finding a definitive solution to make COVID-19 vanish. However, none of these so-called remedies will help. They are based, at best, on initial studies that haven’t progressed beyond a lab setting, and at worst, on misleading claims crafted by individuals with dubious motives.
To safeguard yourself and regain control amid COVID-19, it’s essential to heed the advice of experts—who won’t be sharing their insights in emails from distant relatives. Instead, focus on wearing masks, maintaining social distance, and avoiding large gatherings. For more information on home insemination and pregnancy, you can check out this excellent resource from Mount Sinai.
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Summary:
It’s crucial to avoid unproven remedies like using baby shampoo as a nasal rinse to combat COVID-19. Recent studies have shown potential effectiveness against common coronaviruses, but they lack practical application for COVID-19 specifically. Experts caution that these claims may provide a false sense of security, and adherence to proven health measures like masking and social distancing remains essential.