Hypochlorous Acid is a broad-spectrum and fast-acting antimicrobial solution, whose safety has been proven in numerous clinical trials.
The efficacy of HOCl has been tested against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses, reducing virus particles without affecting human cells.
Virological tests performed on feline calicivirus (Ebola-like virus), rotavirus, AH1N1, adenovirus, and SARS, find HOCl to be highly effective after 1 minute of application.
HOCl selectively binds with the unsaturated lipid layer and subsequently disrupts cellular integrity. Between pH levels of 3 and 6, the predominant species is HOCl that has maximal antimicrobial properties.29 , 30
HOCl is also a powerful oxidizing agent. In aqueous solution, it dissociates into H+ and OCl–, denaturing and aggregating proteins.30 HOCl also destroys viruses by chlorination by forming chloramines and nitrogen-centered radicals, resulting in single- as well as double-stranded DNA breaks, rendering the nucleic acid useless and the virus harmless.31
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, HOCl has been used to prevent the dissipation of the virus (disinfection of surfaces), to neutralize the virus at an early stage when lodged in the upper respiratory tract and nose; and treatment of patients with bronchial infection by this virus, by decreasing the viral load and causing destruction of the virus. Reports of the use of HOCl in the nasal mucosa in studies show safety and effectiveness, both in adults and in children. Nasal spray solutions have also been used as a prophylaxis in health personnel with a high risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2.
References:
29. Wang L., Bassiri M., Najafi R. Hypochlorous acid as a potential wound care agent: Part I. Stabilized hypochlorous acid: A component of
the inorganic armamentarium of innate immunity. J Burns Wounds. 2007;6:e5.
30. Biology Stack Exchange How does hypochlorous acid inactivate viruses?
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31. Winter J., Ilbert M., Graf P.C.F. Bleach activates a redox-regulated chaperone by oxidative protein unfolding. Cell. 2008;135:691.