Florence CARROUEL

Leader
Private Funding
Funding Amount: €66,000

SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted via saliva, even in asymptomatic individuals. It is present in 91.7% of saliva samples from COVID-19 patients, with a viral load reaching up to 1.2 × 10^8 copies/mL. Salivary droplets produced during speaking, breathing, or coughing can contain the virus, with a varying risk of transmission, based on droplet size and distance between individuals. Droplets (>60 µm) can contaminate over short distances (1-3 m), while aerosols (<60 µm) can transmit the virus up to 7-8 m.

Mouthwashes are being considered as a potential adjunct treatment to reduce the viral load of SARS-CoV-2, although in vivo evidence is lacking. Mouthwashes containing antiviral agents such as β-cyclodextrin, flavonoids, and other compounds have shown antiviral activity against several viruses, but their efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 has only been demonstrated in in silico studies.

The BBCovid study aims to monitor the evolution of the salivary viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 patients using mouthwashes, with or without antivirals.