Povidone-Iodine Solution: A Potential Antiseptic to Minimize the Risk of COVID-19? A Narrative Review

Abstract

Objectives: Patients are mask-free during dental attention. In addition, dentists and dental staff after working for hours need to hydrate or eat. Removing the mask makes them vulnerable to the risk of contamination. For those cases, a prophylactic decontamination protocol could be useful as an adjunct to the most recommended biosecurity protocols. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the published evidence about the use of povidone-iodine (PVP-I) against SARS-CoV-2 and to propose a prophylactic protocol for dental attention using PVP-I during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and methods: An electronic search in Medline via PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Scielo databases was performed up to July 24, 2020, to identify relevant literature focusing on Povidone Iodine, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, SARS-COV, MERS, antiviral mouthwashes, and oral cavity.

Results: Clinical studies on the virucidal effectiveness of PVP-I against SARS-CoV-2 have not yet been reported. We identify a recent in vitro study showing PVP-I effectiveness at 0.5, 1, and 1.5% within 15s of contact. Moreover, another in vitro study has shown ≥99.99% virucidal activity as 1% mouthwash and 0.45% throat spray. The only study in SARS-CoV-2 confirmed patients reported a significant 3h drop in viral load after rinsing with 15 mL of 1% PVP-I for 1min.

Conclusions: Although no clinical trials have reported the efficacy of PVP-I on SARS-CoV-2, recent studies in patients with positive PCR to SARS-CoV-2 found a significant 3-h drop in viral load. We believe that an oral prophylactic protocol with PVP-I for dental healthcare workers and patients as an adjunct to the current biosecurity protocol could minimize the transmission risk during COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; cross-infection; dentistry; mouthwashes; povidone–iodine.