During a tele-town hall, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) told told people to use mouthwash to treat the deadly coronavirus, which is not supported by any major medical organization:
By the way, standard gargle, mouthwash, has been proven to kill the coronavirus. If you get it, you may reduce viral replication. Why not try all these things?
Johnson defended his bizarre statement on Twitter with a National Institute of Health study that shows an antiviral mouthwash provided “a modest benefit compared with placebo in reducing viral load in saliva.”
However, the study only included “adults with asymptomatic to mild COVID-19” and not severe cases that lead end up in the hospital.
Listerine announced it does not recommend using its products for COVID:
LISTERINE Antiseptic is not intended to prevent or treat COVID-19 and should be used only as directed on the product label,” the company states on its website. “Although there are recent lab-based reports (in vitro studies) of some LISTERINE Mouthwashes having activity against enveloped viruses, including coronavirus, the available data is insufficient, and no evidence-based clinical conclusions can be drawn with regards to the anti-viral efficacy of LISTERINE Antiseptic mouthwash at this time.
(Sources: Listerine, SenRonJohnson/Twitter, Heartland Signal/Twitter)