Effective As But Safer Than Bleach

(WSJ gif)

Until the vaccine arrives [momentary flash on Didi and Gogo] we've been abiding by the recommendations of the health professionals, i.e., wearing masks, frequent hand washing, and social distancing. Yes,there's some dispute about the effectiveness of masks, but for us the discomfort and inconvenience are a small price to pay when measured against the potential benefit.

If in-person meetings are unavoidable, we hold them outdoors. We also take Vitamin D and zinc supplements.

Now arises some evidence that using mouthwash should be added to the list of preventive measures:

Reducing virus particles in the mouth could help fight against the pandemic, the companies said, because Covid-19 can be spread through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. Both companies [Unilever and Colgate] said the mouthwashes dissolve the outer protective layer of virus particles, preventing them from attaching to cells and infecting them.

But based on tests so far they can’t definitively say how long the benefit would last or what impact coughing would have.

The article is something of a let-down to those focused on coronavirus avoidance for themselves; the benefit of using mouthwash, even if it works, is to protect the people with whom the garglers interact, not themselves.

Your humble blogger gargles daily anyway to prevent infection from using a steroid inhaler.

Now I can say that I'm doing it out of care and concern for the health of others; in this Peninsula community of staunch recyclers and electric cars, I need all the virtue points I can get.