evidence: NEWS Coronavirus News How Drinking Tea May Inactivate COVID By Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD, CLEC Updated on May 02, 2024 Fact checked by Nick Blackmer Print Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images Key Takeaways New data suggests compounds in certain teas may help inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.This potential mechanism is not a replacement for a COVID vaccine.The study authors say gargling with tea for 10 seconds may offer the most beneficial effects for those who are infected. New data published in Food and Environmental Virology shows that tea may be a useful COVID-19 prevention tool thanks to its ability to inactivate the virus in the mouth. Although COVID enters the body primarily through the respiratory tract, it can also enter through the mouth. Once it does, its cells can replicate in the oral glands and mucosa before affecting other parts of the gastrointestinal system and additional body systems. The new study shows tea may stop COVID in its tracks by reducing viral load upon contact, potentially helping reduce the spread of the virus both throughout the body and to other people.