COVID-19 has struck the globe with stunning ferocity. While we do not know how long the crisis will last, how long for a vaccine to emerge; we know that hand and surface hygiene only can help. As it travels between hosts, SARS-CoV-2 appears as a tiny spiky orb, between 50 and 200 billionths of a meter across. Expelled from the human body by a cough or a well-placed sneeze, the virus can settle on surfaces, where it sits, microscopic and immobile, for hours or even days. If something comes along and touches the surface, the virus can travel with it - to a human hand, then from a hand to a face and from there into the body.

These are busy times for decontamination. Cleaning, disinfection and sanitation suddenly took on public health urgency. As each of us navigates the impact of COVID-19 on our lives, we hope that you employ the right and efficient antimicrobials. A strong global presence in the antimicrobial platform close to three decades, we, Kumar Organic Products Ltd. are committed to supporting and responding to the needs of our community during this rapidly evolving set of unpredictable circumstances. It's worth to revisit the proven efficacies of our legendary antimicrobial molecule 'Triclosan'.

Triclosan (TCS), or 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol, is a synthetic broad-spectrum antimicrobial developed in the 1960s. It is enormously popular in healthcare owing to its antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. In clinical practice, TCS is used as a disinfectant and an antiseptic in surgical sutures, scrubs, implants, and medical devices. However, in an outbreak caused by novel agents, it is important to know the effectiveness of disinfectants and antiseptics to prevent or reduce the possibility of human-to-human transmission via surfaces. Not many scientific studies have been conducted on the disinfecting agents against SARS-CoV-2, so experts are relying on those that have already been proved effective against other Coronaviruses.

It has been very well demonstrated that the antimicrobial efficacy of Triclosan is due to its ability to block the synthesis of fatty acids by inhibiting the enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase enzyme. (Triclosan targets lipid synthesis. Nature. 1998;394:531-532). The antiviral activity of Triclosan was assayed against murine hepatitis virus (MHV), as a potential surrogate for SARS-CoV. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 enters the cell in the same path as SARS coronavirus, that is, through the ACE2 cell receptor (SARS and MERS: recent insights into emerging coronaviruses. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 14, 523-534 (2016)).

The 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was transmitted through direct and indirect contact and large droplet nuclei. A surface test method, which involves drying an amount of virus on a surface and then applying the product for a specific contact time, was used to determine the virucidal activity. The virus titers and log reductions were determined by the Reed and Muench tissue culture infective dose (TCID)50 end point method. Disinfectants and antiseptics, containing 0.050% of Triclosan demonstrated a 3-log reduction without any virus recovered in a 30-second contact time. (Am J Infect Control. 2009 Oct; 37(8):649-52. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2009.03.012. Epub 2009 Aug 18).

Latest reports pronounce that live viruses were present in the saliva of infected individuals by viral culture method (Early transmission dynamics in Wuhan, China, of novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia.N.Engl.J.Med.https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2001316(2020). Triclosan had been the preferred antimicrobial in oral hygiene since long. Aiming to increase its efficacy, Triclosan has been associated to other molecules such as zinc citrate, a complementary antimicrobial agent in oral care formulations (The effects of a dentifrice containing zinc citrate and 2,4,4' trichloro-2'-hydroxydiphenyl ether.Periodontol.1986;57(9):555-5610). It makes real sense to have potent antiviral oral rinses to block the possibilities of oral route transmission of COVID- 19.

As World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expect the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to grow, we must make proactive and smart decisions. There may be many unanswered questions, but true prevention is not waiting for bad things to happen but preventing things from happening in the first place.

The greatest medicine of all is to teach people how not to need it.