Background: Gargling had been reported to have significant roles in the prevention and treatment of respiratory tract infections. The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of regular gargling to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 in the oropharynx and nasopharynx. Methodology: This pilot, open labeled, randomized, parallel study compared the effect of 30 seconds, 3 times/day gargling using 1% povidone-iodine (PVP-I), essential oils and tap water on SARS-CoV-2 viral clearance among COVID-19 patients in a tertiary hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Progress was monitored by day 4,6 and 12 PCR (Ct value), gargling and symptoms diary as well as clinical observations. Results: Five confirmed Stage 1 COVID-19 patients were recruited for each arm. The age range was from 22 to 56 years old. The majority were males. Two respondents had co-morbidities, which were asthma and obesity. Viral clearance was achieved at day 6 in 100%, 80%, 20% and 0% for 1% PVP-I, essential oils, tap water and control group respectively. Analysis of 1% PVP-I group versus control group showed significant p-value for comparison of PCR results on Day 4, Day 6 and Day 12. Conclusions: This preliminary study showed that gargling with 1% PVP-I and essential oils show great potential to be part of the treatment and management of Stage 1 COVID-19. Larger studies are required to ascertain the benefit of gargling for different stages of COVID-19 patients. This study was registered in clinicaltrial.gov ( NCT04410159 ).

Objectives: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping is important for treatment and epidemiological purposes. The objective was to determine HCV genotype and their associations with certain risk factors at University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC).Methods: A total of 89 samples were collected from December 2009 to January 2011. Demographic data of patients were collected from medical record. Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) was performed and sixty-four samples yielded positive for HCV. Sequencing was performed and analyzed based on sequence information in GenBank. Statistical analysis were done using SPSS version 15.Results: HCV genotype 3 (73%) was the most frequent genotype, followed by genotype 1(27%). The distribution of HCV genotype/ subtype was as follows: 3a (64.8%), 1a (13.5%), 1 (10.8%), 3 (8.1%) and 1b (2.7%).Conclusions: HCV subtypes 3a, 1a, and 1b were identified in patients at UKMMC, Malaysia with subtype 3a being the most prevalent. No significant association was found between HCV genotypes and patients