[Wuhan pneumonia in Japan] Osaka Prefecture Governor Yoshimura Yoshimura sells plaster at a press conference, and people frantically grab betadine mouthwash

At present, there is no medicine that can effectively prevent COVID-19. Do not buy medicines according to home remedies. Before taking all medicines, you must ask your doctor or pharmacist to instruct them.

At noon on the 4th, Osaka Prefecture Governor Yoshimura Yoshimura, Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui and Osaka Prefectural Hospital Organization Osaka Medical Center held a joint press conference to announce the latest research results of Osaka Medical Center: Osaka Medical Center for 41 patients in June-July A group of patients who stayed in an "anti-epidemic hotel (*)" in Osaka Prefecture had to rinse their mouth with iodine-containing mouthwash for 4 consecutive days in the morning, after lunch, and after dinner + before going to bed. In the control group gargling with iodine-containing mouthwash, 56.3% of the saliva PCR test results were still positive, but in the experimental group gargling with iodine-containing mouthwash four times a day, only 21.0% of the saliva PCR test was positive.

* Japan's "epidemic prevention hotel" specializes in treating asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 confirmed patients, and Taiwan's "epidemic prevention hotel" is used for 14-day home quarantine after entry, which is completely different in concept and should not be confused.

Akira Matsuyama, the next-generation drug creation center of the Osaka Prefectural Hospital's Osaka Medical Center, said that this study shows that gargling with iodine-containing mouthwash may reduce the amount of viruses in saliva, but whether iodine-containing mouthwash can reduce the amount of virus in saliva. Effectively reducing the amount of virus in the body, or reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19 to others, requires further research.

Then, there was a row of iodine-containing mouthwash Yoshimura Yoshimura on the table, just like selling plaster on an underground radio station, he said at a press conference : "Although this sounds like a lie, it's true", calling for:

1. People with flu-like symptoms such as fever
2. Accompanying practitioners in the liquor industry
3. Medical staff and caregivers

For the above three kinds of people, use iodine-containing mouthwash to gargle.

The governor became a super salesman, and the public burst into buying iodine-containing mouthwash

After the press conference, many people mistakenly thought that as long as gargling with iodine-containing mouthwash can prevent COVID-19, a large number of people frantically bought iodine-containing mouthwash or beta-iodine, causing major shortages in major pharmacies. In this regard, the official Twitter of the WHO Kobe Center also issued a special post saying: "There is no scientific basis to prove that the use of mouthwashes can prevent COVID-19", and added the hashtag of "Mythbusters" to the tweet, emphasizing this. is fake news.

As for Yoshimura Yoshimura, while denying on Twitter that medicinal mouthwash can prevent COVID-19, he emphasized that the saliva PCR test in this experiment was done before gargling every morning, and this study only confirmed (diagnosed patients) use of containing Gargling with iodine mouthwash can shorten the time for saliva PCR test results to drop from positive to negative. The implication is that Yoshinori Yoshimura maintains the position that iodine-containing mouthwash is (to some extent) effective for confirmed patients, and calls on the public to stop buying beta-iodine or iodine-containing mouthwash.

Yoshinori Yoshimura also re-emphasized at the press conference on the 5th that the experimental results of Osaka はびきのMedical センター do not mean that betadine or iodine-containing mouthwash can effectively prevent COVID-19. Before using medicinal mouthwash, you must follow the doctor's instructions and do not Explosive buying, resale is strictly prohibited. In general, Yoshimura Yoshimura has always maintained his consistent position, and has not withdrawn his intention to "call on three types of people to use iodine-containing mouthwash more often".

The mentality of burst buying is to be prepared, but it is more important to wash your hands correctly

The pharmacist Yuji Kojima, who was interviewed by the Japanese version of "BuzzFeed", pointed out that the experimental subjects of the Osaka Prefectural Hospital Agency Osaka Medical Center are all confirmed patients staying in the "epidemic prevention hotel", but they will go to the pharmacy to buy betadine Or iodine-containing mouthwash should remember that people are worried that they will be infected with COVID-19. Buy betadine or an iodine-containing mouthwash at the pharmacy.

Yuji Kojima went on to say that for those who work on-site, pharmacists don’t keep staring at the TV during the day, and suddenly a bunch of people come out to buy betadine or iodine-containing mouthwash. Everyone’s understanding of the news is different. They are all different, which leads to different opinions of each customer. Some people say: "I need to buy a medicinal mouthwash to drink", which makes the pharmacists working on the front line really full of question marks.

Yuji Kojima emphasized that in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, in general, the importance of gargling is not higher than hand washing. The most important thing is to thoroughly wash your hands with water and soap, which is definitely more important than gargling.

The experimental design is not perfect, and the iodine-containing mouthwash should not be used indiscriminately

In fact, there are two major problems in the explosion of "beta iodine or iodine-containing mouthwash". One is the problem of the experiment itself, and the other is that "beta iodine or iodine-containing mouthwash" has side effects, and not everyone is suitable for gargling with iodine-containing mouthwash.

As far as the experiment itself is concerned, the number of samples in this experiment is only 41. It remains to be determined that iodine-containing mouthwash can effectively reduce the amount of virus in the "mouth" of confirmed patients. Furthermore, this experiment only compared the control group of "gargle with iodine-containing mouthwash" and without gargling, and was inferior to the control group of "gargle with water". Is iodine-containing mouthwash really useful or gargling? useful, but also a problem.

In fact, a study by Kyoto University in the past has shown that gargling with tap water is more effective in preventing colds than gargling with iodine-containing mouthwash, but other studies have pointed out that iodine-containing mouthwash is still useful in certain situations. Whether "mouthwashing" or reducing the amount of virus in the mouth can inhibit the spread of infectious diseases is still unconfirmed in the academic world, not to mention whether it is suitable for the situation of COVID-19.

Hori Xiang Kenta, a specialist doctor of the Japanese Allergy Society and a doctor instructing the Japanese Society of Pediatrics, believes that betadine has a strong bactericidal function. Too often using iodine-containing mouthwash to gargle will destroy the mucous membranes and beneficial bacteria in the oral cavity at the same time, which may be caused by this. The results of gargling with water are more effective than iodine-containing mouthwash, but this part is open to question.

Do not mess around with medicated mouthwash without a doctor's instruction

Furthermore, long-term use of iodine-containing mouthwash is likely to cause side effects of abnormal thyroid function (eg: long-term use of iodine-containing mouthwash to cause hypothyroidism ), so there are studies calling for long-term use of iodine-containing mouthwash. The public should have regular thyroid checkups.

To put it simply, iodine is the main component of thyroid hormones. Once excessive intake of iodine will lead to excessive iodine levels in the blood, the secretion of thyroid hormones will be reduced or suspended, resulting in hypothyroidism. In addition, betadine is easily transmitted to the fetus through the placenta, so pregnant women can only take up to 2mg a day during pregnancy. Commercially available spray-type medicinal mouthwashes only need to spray 3-4 times, which will exceed the highest intake of pregnant women a day. quantity.

Hori said to Kenta that there are currently two studies underway on whether betadine can be effective against COVID-19, and it will not be too late to discuss the effectiveness of iodine-containing mouthwashes when the results of other studies come out. Horiko Kenta also mentioned that there are reports that patients use antiviral drugs to rinse their mouths before going to the dentist, which may help reduce the possibility of dentists contracting COVID-19.

Never buy drugs that are unknown in second-hand online stores

Most importantly, medicinal mouthwashes are classified as Class 3 pharmaceuticals in Japan. According to Article 24 of the "Medical Medicines, Medical Devices, etc. Act (Medical Appliances Act)", in addition to those who have a license to sell pharmaceutical products, they are Medicated mouthwashes cannot be sold or sold. If the public buys medicinal mouthwash from unknown sources on the Internet, and if side effects occur after taking it, they cannot use the "Medical Drugs Side Effects Victims Rescue System" to seek compensation from the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA).

References

1. うがい薬でコロナ Inhibition of aggravation? The Governor of Osaka used the suspense "harm に な り か ね な い"
2. 専men family commentary on the new コロナ対 policy, イソジンなどのうがい薬に飞びつくべきでないのはなぜ?
3. 『ポビドンヨードによるうがいは New type of コロナを Improvement させる』 Doctor's explanation

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The original link is Japanese current affairs まとめ translation by Kaori Ishikawa