Nasal sprays are shown to be effective in reducing Covid infections
(Picture: Tim Sloan / AFP via Getty Images)Research on the efficiency of nasal sprays in reducing Covid infections has produced promising results.
The sprays have been found to stop the virus from attaching itself to cells in the nose, reducing the likelihood of an infection.
The study results suggest the sprays could one day be used as a treatment to help to stop the virus from replicating or entering the body.
Professor of neurology and director of the Institute of Cardiovascular Research at Royal Holloway Pankaj Sharma said: “Any intervention for treating coronavirus — the virus responsible for Covid-19 — is to be welcomed.
“The fact that a relatively easy and simple nasal spray could be an effective treatment is welcome news and offers a significant advance in our therapeutic armoury against this devastating disease.”
Covid infection and the nose
Previous studies have found that changing the moisture levels in the nose using saline can alter the pH levels and provide a virus-killing environment. In chemistry, pH, historically denoting “potential of hydrogen”, is a scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution.
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has recently approved Bharat Biotech’s needle-free intranasal Covid vaccine as the first of its kind in the world.
The intranasal vaccine iNCOVACC has proven to be safe during clinical trials, according to a statement.
Study of of Cleveland Clinic: "patients who regularly use nasal steroid sprays are less likely to develop severe COVID-19-related disease. The study points to a 20% to 24% lower risk of hospitalization, intensive care unit admission and mortality."https://t.co/LukIBuraS8
— Thinking fast and slow (@ElleMandell) December 22, 2021
It added: “Clinical trials were conducted to evaluate iNCOVACC as a primary dose schedule, and as a heterologous booster dose for subjects who have previously received two doses of the two commonly administered Covid vaccines in India,” Bharat Biotech said in a statement.
“iNCOVACC has the double benefit of enabling faster development of variant-specific vaccines and easy nasal delivery that enables mass immunisation to protect from emerging variants of concern.
“It promises to become an important tool in mass vaccinations during pandemics and endemics.”
No efficacy data has been provided yet.
