Certain oral antiseptics and mouthwashes may offer a way to inactivate human coronavirus, according to a new study. The findings indicate that some of these products might help reduce the viral load, or amount of virus, in the mouth after infection and may help reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Researchers tested several oral and nasopharyngeal rinses in a laboratory setting for their ability to inactivate human coronaviruses, which are similar in structure to SARS-CoV-2. The products evaluated included a 1% solution of baby shampoo, a neti pot, peroxide sore-mouth cleansers, and mouthwashes. The researchers found that several of the nasal and oral rinses had a strong ability to neutralize human coronavirus, which suggests that these products may have the potential to reduce the amount of virus spread by people who are COVID-19-positive. “The products we tested are readily available and often already part of people’s daily routines,” says …