Scientists Discover Ingredient In Insect Repellent That Can Kill Coronavirus

An ingredient in some insect repellent can kill a strain of coronavirus, opening the possibility of having a thin layer of protection against the virus.

A research conducted by British military scientists showed that Citriodiol, a type of oil extracted from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree, has shown its capability to kill a coronavirus strain. The novel coronavirus, which causes deadly COVID-19, has killed more than 820,000 people all over the world and infected millions more. With the new discovery about Citriodiol, scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) in the U.K. hope it helps in the global fight against the coronavirus.

DSTL scientists say Citriodiol offers an additional layer of protection against coronavirus infection. The researchers revealed they are testing Mosi-guard, a plant-based mosquito repellent which lists Citriodiol among its ingredients, to check its efficacy against the virus and whether it retains the same level of effectiveness when applied on latex products.

"This research paper demonstrates preliminary findings on the effectiveness of Citriodiol against Covid-19," DTSL scientists announced Wednesday.

Many bug repellent brands, such as Ben's Natural and Incognito, use Citriodiol as an active ingredient. The ingredient is extracted from the twigs and leaves of the eucalyptus citriodora tree and has shown its high efficacy against a variety of nuisance insects, biting insects, and ticks.

The British armed forces were among the first to test the efficacy of the repellent after its military establishment issued the product to its soldiers after it has proven its effectiveness in defending against previously known coronaviruses, like those that caused SARS and MERS-CoV. At the time, the world is yet to learn about SARS-CoV-2.

When the novel coronavirus pandemic struck, scientists all over the world were in a frenzy to discover a cure or vaccine to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus infection. In the U.K., hundreds of volunteers lined up to be among the first to get the experimental COVID-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile, military researchers conducted a study on whether the British military-issued insect repellent, which contains Citriodiol, can also be used as extra protection, in addition to wearing the face masks and observing proper hygiene.

During the height of the pandemic in April, Citrefine International, the company that processes eucalyptus twigs and leaves to extract Citriodiol, told Sky News that the product may be a potential weapon against the novel coronavirus. "What we can say is that we do feel there is a very good chance it could work against this virus but it does, of course, need to be thoroughly tested," said managing director Jacqueline Watson during the interview with Sky News.

Although Citriodiol has shown its potential, British military scientists say this does not mean the public should use the product as their primary means of defense against the virus. Researchers say the insect spray does not provide sufficient protection on its own but instead is used by the military as an additional safeguard along with hand washing, face coverings, and other health and safety measures that intend to stop the spread of the coronavirus.