A new study reveals that mouthwash may help prevent transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers from the U.K. say that in previous studies on coronaviruses, which have the same outer structure as SARS-CoV-2, the chemicals in mouthwash were able to disrupt the membranes on the surface of the virus so that they couldn’t attach to human cells.

Scientists have called for “urgent research” into the possibility that ordinary oral hygiene products may be effective in reducing the spread of the current coronavirus, according to the Independent.

The researchers said that their study shows mouthwash has the potential to destroy the outmost layer or the “envelope” of the virus, preventing it from reproducing in the mouth and throat.

“We highlight that already published research on other enveloped viruses, including coronaviruses, directly support the idea that oral rinsing should be considered as a potential way to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2,” the researchers wrote in the scientific journal 'Function' according to  Fox News.

However, the lead author Valerie O’Donnell, a professor at Cardiff University, said that mouthwash has not been tested on the new coronavirus and cautions that people should continue taking preventative measures such as washing their hands frequently and maintaining social distancing.

The Philadelphia Inquirer pointed out the flaws in the British research.

“The virus doesn’t just sit in the mouth so if we swish it will be dead,” said Mark S. Wolff, dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. “A chemical in the mouth is not getting into the nasal cavity or the lungs.”