Antimicrobial mouthwashes and nasal sprays use by healthcare workers: no available evidence by 1 June 2020
Citation: Burton MJ, Clarkson JE, Goulao B, et al. Use of antimicrobial mouthwashes (gargling) and nasal sprays by healthcare workers to protect them when treating patients with suspected or confirmed COVID‐19 infection. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2020;(9):CD013626.
What is this? Self use of antimicrobial mouthwashes and nasal sprays have been suggested as ways for healthcare workers to protect themselves from COVID-19 infection.
In this Cochrane rapid review, the authors searched for studies comparing the effects on COVID-19 infection of healthcare workers using antimicrobial mouthwashes or nasal sprays versus no treatment, water or salt solution. They did not restrict their searches by language of publication and did the final search on 1 June 2020 but did not find any completed studies. They identified 3 ongoing studies (including 2 randomized trials).
What works: Nothing noted.
What doesn’t work: Nothing noted.
What’s uncertain: The effects on COVID-19 infection of healthcare workers using antimicrobial mouthwashes and nasal sprays when treating patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection are uncertain.