SG-APSIC1050: Personal care formulations prove effective against evolving variants of SARS-CoV-2: Implications for public health and hygiene

Objectives: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, global health authorities identified and emphasized the importance of practicing proper hand hygiene to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and to diminish the chances of becoming infected. It is well established in the scientific literature that surfactants and alcohols are capable of inactivating enveloped viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. However, given the novel nature of the virus, Unilever adopted an evidence-based approach to demonstrate virucidal efficacy of marketed bar soaps, liquid handwashes, and alcohol-based hand sanitizers against the original and selected variants of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: High titers of clinically isolated and laboratory-propagated SARS-CoV-2 strains were subjected to a range of selected proprietary formulations from Unilever at end-user–relevant dilutions, temperature, and contact duration, and were tested according to the internationally recognized ASTM E-1052 test protocol. Results: All tested personal-care formulations were effective against the parental SARS-CoV-2 strain as well as the β (beta) and δ (delta) variants of concern. More specifically, bar soaps with a varying concentration of total fatty matter content and liquid handwashes with varying levels of total surfactants reduced the viral titer by >99.9% within 20 seconds. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers demonstrated >99.99% reduction of input viral load within 15 seconds of contact with the viral inoculum. Conclusions: In conclusion, we have provided empirical proof that well-designed personal-care formulations that act through generic physicochemical mechanism against the basic structure of the virus particle have high virucidal efficacy against the original and evolved SARS-CoV-2 variants. Furthermore, we argue that due to the broad-spectrum mode of action of these tested formulations, the continued practice of good hand hygiene practices with everyday products holds significant promise as an easily accessible, economic, and effective nontherapeutic public health intervention toward reducing the transmission of present and future variants of SARS-CoV-2 across communities and populations.

Personal care formulations demonstrate virucidal efficacy against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: Implications for hand hygiene and public health

Despite considerable progress being made on vaccine roll out, practicing proper hand hygiene has been advocated as a consistent precautionary intervention against the circulating and emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2. Two variants of concern, namely beta and delta, have been shown to exhibit enhanced transmissibility, high viral load, and ability to escape antibody-mediated neutralization. In this report we have empirically determined the efficacy of selected personal care formulations from Unilever in inactivating the beta and delta variants of SARS-CoV-2 under simulated real-life conditions. All the formulations demonstrated greater than 99.9% reduction in viral infective titres which is comparable to inactivation of the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus tested under the same conditions. Therefore, it can be concluded that well-designed personal care formulations when tested under consumer-centric conditions, and with proven efficacy against the parent strain of SARS-CoV-2 will continue to be effective against extant and emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2.

Personal care formulations demonstrate virucidal efficacy against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: Implications for hand hygiene and public health.

Despite considerable progress being made on vaccine roll out, practicing proper hand hygiene has been advocated as a consistent precautionary intervention against the circulating and emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2. Two variants of concern, namely beta and delta, have been shown to exhibit enhanced transmissibility, high viral load, and ability to escape antibody-mediated neutralization. In this report we have empirically determined the efficacy of selected personal care formulations from Unilever in inactivating the beta and delta variants of SARS-CoV-2 under simulated real-life conditions. All the formulations demonstrated greater than 99.9% reduction in viral infective titres which is comparable to inactivation of the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus tested under the same conditions. Therefore, it can be concluded that well-designed personal care formulations when tested under consumer-centric conditions, and with proven efficacy against the parent strain of SARS-CoV-2 will continue to be effective against extant and emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2.

CPC-containing oral rinses inactivate SARS-CoV-2 variants and are active in the presence of human saliva.

Introduction. The importance of human saliva in aerosol-based transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is now widely recognized. However, little is known about the efficacy of virucidal mouthwash formulations against emergent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and in the presence of saliva.Hypothesis. Mouthwashes containing virucidal actives will have similar inactivation effects against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and will retain efficacy in the presence of human saliva.Aim. To examine in vitro efficacy of mouthwash formulations to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 variants.Methodology. Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 variants by mouthwash formulations in the presence or absence of human saliva was assayed using ASTM International Standard E1052-20 methodology.Results. Appropriately formulated mouthwashes containing 0.07 % cetylpyridinium chloride but not 0.2 % chlorhexidine completely inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (USA-WA1/2020, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta) up to the limit of detection in suspension assays. Tests using USA-WA1/2020 indicates that efficacy is maintained in the presence of human saliva.Conclusions. Together these data suggest cetylpyridinium chloride-based mouthwashes are effective at inactivating SARS-CoV-2 variants. This indicates potential to reduce viral load in the oral cavity and mitigate transmission via salivary aerosols.

Antiviral efficacy of personal care formulations against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2.

BACKGROUND: Non-therapeutic interventions such as practicing good hand hygiene continue to be the mainstay of protection from SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging respiratory viruses. METHODS: We have evaluated a range of commercially available personal care products including soaps, handwash liquids and alcohol-based hand sanitizers for antiviral efficacy against a clinical isolate of SARS-CoV-2 using internationally accepted standardized protocols at user-relevant contact time-points and product dilutions. RESULTS: All the tested products resulted in 3 to 4 log reduction of SARS-CoV-2 titer. CONCLUSION: Our data re-affirms recommendations by global public health authorities that proper hand hygiene can reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral load significantly which should likely limit spread of the contagion.