A chemical used in insect repellent can kill the strain of coronavirus that causes Covid-19, according to a preliminary study by Britain's defence laboratory published on Wednesday. "Mixing a virus suspension with Mosi-guard spray or selected constituent components resulted in a reduction in SARS-CoV-2," said the study. At a high concentration, "Mosi-guard gave a significant decrease... resulting in no recoverable virus," it added. Citriodiol is made from oil in the leaves and twigs of the eucalyptus citriodora tree, which is found in Asia, South America and Africa, and is already known to kill other types of coronavirus. Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace in May said the country's armed forces were being given the insect repellent to offer potential protection against the coronavirus

Source: News 24 August 26, 2020 15:45 UTC