gms | German Medical Science

GMS Hygiene and Infection Control

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Krankenhaushygiene (DGKH)

ISSN 2196-5226

A recommendation of PHTALOX® for preventing infection and progression of COVID-19: a 1-year summarized update of scientific approaches

Eine Empfehlung für PHTALOX® zur Vorbeugung der Infektion und des Fortschreitens von COVID-19: ein Jahr zusammengefasstes Update wissenschaftlicher Ansätze

Letter to the Editor

  • Bernardo da Fonseca Orcina - University of Sao Paulo, Bauru School of Dentistry, Department of Surgery, Stomatology, Pathology and Radiology Bauru, Brazil
  • Verônica Caroline Brito Reia - University of Sao Paulo, Bauru School of Dentistry, Department of Surgery, Stomatology, Pathology and Radiology Bauru, Brazil
  • Andréa Name Colado Simão - State University of Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
  • Audrey Alesandra Stinghen Garcia Lonni - State University of Londrina, Londrina, Brazil
  • Thais Maria Freire Fernandes - Department of Orthodontics, University of North Paraná (UNOPAR), Londrina, Brazil
  • Marcelo Lupion Poleti - Federal Institute of Parana, Londrina, Brazil
  • Fabiano Vieira Vilhena - TRIALS – Oral Health & Technologies, Bauru, Brazil
  • corresponding author Paulo Sérgio da Silva Santos - University of Sao Paulo, Bauru School of Dentistry, Department of Surgery, Stomatology, Pathology and Radiology Bauru, Brazil

GMS Hyg Infect Control 2022;17:Doc03

doi: 10.3205/dgkh000406, urn:nbn:de:0183-dgkh0004069

Published: January 31, 2022

© 2022 da Fonseca Orcina et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Letter to the editor

Dear editor,

The role of the oral cavity in the genesis, progression, and dissemination of COVID-19 has been revealed by breakthroughs in SARS-CoV-2 research [1]. As a result, in 2020, our research group presented a recommendation for PHTALOX® mouthwash for reducing COVID-19 infection and progression [2]. On this occasion, we revealed the first clinical findings in patients with COVID-19 who utilized PHTALOX®, an antiviral phthalocyanine derivative (APD), in a gargle/rinse mouthwash protocol [3]. We updated the information with new insights on the usage of the APD method since PHTALOX® was indicated against SARS-CoV-2 (Table 1 [Tab. 1]).

Hence, combined with immunizations, the activity of products containing PHTALOX® may help prevent patients from transmitting SARS-CoV-2 and thus help prevent others from contracting COVID-19. Following this logic, additional findings from our study group underscore the positive impact of APD. In epidemiological research, the usage of products containing APD reduced virus dissemination and COVID-19 symptoms [4]. In a population-based study with a sample that used APD, a reduction (p<0.05) in the incidence of COVID-19 was observed compared to a control population without APD exposure [5]. Thus, while vaccines are the most important tool in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, they are not 100% effective in those vaccinated, and even after the initial dose, antibody production takes several days to mature, followed by reinforcement with additional doses [6], at which point gargle-and-rinse solutions may be an effective option.

As previously indicated, we emphasize how important it is for scientists and governments to evaluate the impact of APD policies in hospitals and the general community on SARS-COV-2 VL, hence reducing the virus's transmission and severity of COVID-19.


Notes

Competing interests

All authors submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Dr. Vilhena reports personal fees from TRIALS Inc. while conducting the study. In addition, Dr. Vilhena has a patent pending. Dr. da Silva Santos reports grants from CNPq process nº. 309525/2018-7. The other authors claim no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgments

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Brazil (Finance Code 001).

ORCID-ID of the Authors


References

1.
Huang N, Pérez P, Kato T, Mikami Y, Okuda K, Gilmore RC, Conde CD, Gasmi B, Stein S, Beach M, Pelayo E, Maldonado JO, Lafont BA, Jang SI, Nasir N, Padilla RJ, Murrah VA, Maile R, Lovell W, Wallet SM, Bowman NM, Meinig SL, Wolfgang MC, Choudhury SN, Novotny M, Aevermann BD, Scheuermann RH, Cannon G, Anderson CW, Lee RE, Marchesan JT, Bush M, Freire M, Kimple AJ, Herr DL, Rabin J, Grazioli A, Das S, French BN, Pranzatelli T, Chiorini JA, Kleiner DE, Pittaluga S, Hewitt SM, Burbelo PD, Chertow D; NIH COVID-19 Autopsy Consortium; HCA Oral and Craniofacial Biological NetworkFrank K, Lee J, Boucher RC, Teichmann SA, Warner BM, Byrd KM. SARS-CoV-2 infection of the oral cavity and saliva. Nat Med. 2021 05;27(5):892-903. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01296-8 External link
2.
da Silva Santos PS, da Fonseca Orcina B, da Costa Alves LM, Cardoso de Oliveira R, Mariana Schutzer Ragghianti Zangrando M, Vieira Vilhena F. A Recommendation of PHTALOX® Mouthwash for Preventing Infection and Progression of COVID-19. Acta Scient Dent Sci. 2020;4(12):111-2. DOI: 10.31080/ASDS.2020.04.0991 External link
3.
Vilhena FV, Brito Reia VC, da Fonseca Orcina B, Santos CA, Zangrando M, Cardoso de Oliveira R, da Silva Santos PS. The use of antiviral Phthalocyanine mouthwash as a preventive measure against COVID-19. GMS Hyg Infect Control. 2021 Jul 9;16:Doc24. DOI: 10.3205/dgkh000395 External link
4.
Reia VCB, Bastos RS, Vilhena FV, Honório HM, Alves LMC, Frazão P, Santos PSS. Population-based virucidal phthalocyanine gargle/rinse protocol to reduce the risk of coronavirus disease-2019: a community trial [Preprint]. Res Sq. 2021. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1065834/v1 External link
5.
Poleti ML, Gregório D, Bistaffa AG, Vilhena FV, Simão AN, Mori MT, Stadtlober NP, Lozovoy MA, da Silva Santos PS, Tatibana BT, Fernandes TM. Toothbrushing with a dentifrice containing antimicrobial phthalocyanine derivative for the intraoral reduction of viral load of SARS-CoV-2: a pilot study. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2021. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-690819/v1. External link
6.
Krammer F, Srivastava K, Alshammary H, Amoako AA, Awawda MH, Beach KF, Bermúdez-González MC, Bielak DA, Carreño JM, Chernet RL, Eaker LQ, Ferreri ED, Floda DL, Gleason CR, Hamburger JZ, Jiang K, Kleiner G, Jurczyszak D, Matthews JC, Mendez WA, Nabeel I, Mulder LCF, Raskin AJ, Russo KT, Salimbangon AT, Saksena M, Shin AS, Singh G, Sominsky LA, Stadlbauer D, Wajnberg A, Simon V. Antibody Responses in Seropositive Persons after a Single Dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine. N Engl J Med. 2021 04;384(14):1372-4. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2101667 External link
7.
Santos C, da Fonseca Orcina B, Brito Reia VC, Ribeiro LG, Grotto RMT, Prudenciatti A, de Moraes LN, Ragghianti Zangrando M, Vilhena FV, da Silva Santos PS. Virucidal Activity of the Antiseptic Mouthwash and Dental Gel Containing Anionic Phthalocyanine Derivative: In vitro Study. Clin Cosmet Investig Dent. 2021;13:269-74. DOI: 10.2147/CCIDE.S315419 External link
8.
da Fonseca Orcina B, Vilhena FV, Cardoso de Oliveira R, Marques da Costa Alves L, Araki K, Toma SH, Ragghianti Zangrando MS, da Silva Santos PS. A Phthalocyanine Derivate Mouthwash to Gargling/Rinsing as an Option to Reduce Clinical Symptoms of COVID-19: Case Series. Clin Cosmet Investig Dent. 2021;13:47-50. DOI: 10.2147/CCIDE.S295423 External link
9.
da Silva Santos PS, da Fonseca Orcina B, Machado RRG, Vilhena FV, da Costa Alves LM, Zangrando MSR, de Oliveira RC, Soares MQS, Simão ANC, Pietro ECIN, Kuroda JPG, de Almeida Benjamim IA, Araujo DB, Toma SH, Flor L, Araki K, Durigon EL. Beneficial effects of a mouthwash containing an antiviral phthalocyanine derivative on the length of hospital stay for COVID-19: randomised trial. Sci Rep. 2021 10;11(1):19937. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99013-5 External link