Virucidal activity of olanexidine gluconate against SARS-CoV-2

Introduction: Antiseptics have been used for infection control against SARS-CoV-2. Ethanol (EtOH) was effective against SARS-CoV-2, while chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) was less effective. Therefore, there may be differences in virucidal activity between classes of antiseptic agents. Aim: In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of antiseptics against SARS-CoV-2 and identified effective agents for infection control. Methods: The following antiseptics were used in this study: 1.5% olanexidine gluconate (OLG); 80% EtOH; 1% sodium hypochlorite (NaClO); 0.2% benzalkonium chloride (BKC); 1% povidone-iodine (PVP-I); 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG); and 0.5% alkyldiaminoethylglycine hydrochloride (AEG). Virucidal activity was evaluated at 0, 30 s, 1, 2, and 3 min according to EN14476. Results: After 30 s of exposure, 1.5% OLG, 80% EtOH, 1% NaClO, 0.2% BKC, and 1% PVP-I inactivated SARS-CoV-2 below the detection limit. In contrast, the virus was survived in 0.5% CHG, 1% CHG, and 0.5% AEG after 3 min of exposure. However, the virucidal activity of 1.5% CHG was insufficient after 30 s of exposure. Conclusion: This study showed that the virucidal activity against SARS-CoV-2 differs depending on the class of antiseptic agent. Despite belonging to the same class of biguanide antiseptics, OLG was more effective against SARS-CoV-2 than CHG.