After Announcement of Gargle Solution's COVID-19 Suppression Effect, Signs of Panic Buying in Japan

Japanese Regional Governors Announce Clinical Trial Results
Surge in Orders and Sold-Out Stock at Some Online and Offline Stores
Experts: "Non-Experts Should Not Recommend Pharmaceuticals"

Yoshimura Hirofumi, Governor of Osaka Prefecture, Japan / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] In Japan, a governor of a metropolitan area announced clinical trial results showing that a gargle solution mixed with povidone-iodine is effective in suppressing the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), leading to signs of hoarding of the gargle solution.

Earlier on the 4th (local time), Hirofumi Yoshimura, governor of Osaka Prefecture, Japan, stated at a press conference that using a gargle solution containing povidone-iodine on mild COVID-19 patients showed a reduction in the coronavirus in saliva.

Povidone-iodine is a disinfectant with broad-spectrum sterilizing effects.

According to Governor Yoshimura's announcement, the clinical trial was conducted at a hospital in the Osaka area with 41 mild patients. The patients used a gargle solution containing povidone-iodine four times a day, and were compared with patients who did not use it.

On the fourth day of the trial, the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test positivity rate among patients who used the gargle solution was about 9%, significantly lower compared to about 40% in patients who did not use the gargle solution.

Governor Yoshimura said, "It sounds like a lie but it's true," adding, "Although the effect has not been definitively confirmed at the research stage, I would like to recommend gargling with povidone-iodine." However, he urged people not to hoard the gargle solution.

After Governor Yoshimura announced the clinical trial results, some online and offline stores in Japan showed signs of gargle solution hoarding. The photo shows a notice of sold-out gargle solution posted at a pharmacy in Japan. / Photo by Twitter Capture

However, after the press conference, it was reported that orders for the gargle solution surged at some online and offline stores in Japan, causing shortages and signs of hoarding.

According to the Japanese economic media 'Nihon Keizai Shimbun,' the gargle solution was sold out at pharmacies in the afternoon, and at a pharmacy in Osaka City, more than 15 bottles of the povidone-iodine-containing gargle solution were sold, compared to the usual 2 to 3 bottles per day.

Meanwhile, Japanese public health experts pointed out that it is not wise for politicians who are not experts to announce clinical trial results.

Toshio Takatarige, a public health expert at Kansai University, said in an interview with the Japanese media 'Asahi Shimbun' on the 5th, "It does not seem appropriate for governors or mayors who are not experts to recommend the use of pharmaceuticals at press conferences," adding, "They may not be able to take responsibility if side effects occur."

He added, "It is similar to the government's actions of closing schools without sufficiently listening to experts or distributing cloth masks."