Throat Lozenges and Spray Containing Chlorhexidine and Lidocaine Fixed Combination Show Virucidal Activity against Respiratory Syncytial Virus and SARS-CoV-2
The limitations of existing treatments for both Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lie in their inability to provide universally accessible, easy-to-use, and effective solutions. A commercially available fixed combination of chlorhexidine and lidocaine in both, lozenge and spray form, were assessed for their antiviral efficacy against RSV and SARS-CoV-2 in a suspension test, the viral titres were measured by standard TCID50. Both formulations were able to reduce the RSV titre to undetectable levels (99.9% virus inactivation, 3 log10 reduction) in less than 1 minute. The lozenge formulation inactivated the viral activity of SARS-CoV-2 in 5 minutes (99% virus inactivation, 2 log10 reduction), while the spray formulation led to a reduction of SARS-CoV-2 titre to undetectable levels in less than 1 minute (99.9%, 3 log10 reduction). In conclusion, our results show that preparations combining chlorhexidine and lidocaine significantly reduce certain respiratory viruses in vitro. In this regard, physiological effects of these preparations become more obvious potentially affecting viral transmission to other individuals and spreading to the lower respiratory tract—thereby shortening the duration and severity of symptoms.
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