While the world waits for a covid19 vaccine, a nasal spray may also prevent infection according to the NY Times.

While the world waits for a covid19 vaccine, a nasal spray may also prevent infection according to the NY Times.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you may have heard that both Pfizer and Moderna have a covid 19 vaccine that is being shown to be at least 90 percent effective at preventing covid19 infection.

It is estimated that these vaccines may take months to produce and distribute, with the Pfizer vaccine also requiring a negative 75 degrees Celcius storage component.  This can be a problem as most placed that would administer the vaccine do not have this capability as of now.

According to the NY Times, there may be another option that uses a nasal spray which can also prevent infection.   The study which was performed on ferrets at Columbia University claims that they have developed a treatment that blocks the virus in the nose and lungs, is inexpensive, and needs no refrigeration.

The spray may also prevent other respiratory diseases and could be another approach to prevent flu and other respiratory borne health threats.

According to the NY Times; The spray attacks the virus directly. It contains a lipopeptide, a cholesterol particle linked to a chain of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. This particular lipopeptide exactly matches a stretch of amino acids in the spike protein of the virus, which the pathogen uses to attach to a human airway or lung cell.

Years ago, another substance called allergen block was a salve that was applied to the outside of the nose and it was effective at preventing allergens from being breathed in.  It was effective at reducing allergy symptoms.  This nasal spray uses a similar idea to reduce covid19 infection and may have other future uses as well.

Check out the article in the NY Times below

Nasal Spray Prevents Covid Infection in Ferrets, Study Finds

Scientists at Columbia University have developed a treatment that blocks the virus in the nose and lungs, is inexpensive and needs no refrigeration.

By Donald G. McNeil Jr.
Nov. 5, 2020

A nasal spray that blocks the absorption of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has completely protected ferrets it was tested on, according to a small study released on Thursday by an international team of scientists. The study, which was limited to animals and has not yet been peer-reviewed, was assessed by several health experts at the request of The New York Times.

If the spray, which the scientists described as nontoxic and stable, is proved to work in humans, it could provide a new way of fighting the pandemic. A daily spritz up the nose would act like a vaccine.

“Having something new that works against the coronavirus is exciting,” said Dr. Arturo Casadevall, the chairman of immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who was not involved in the study. “I could imagine this being part of the arsenal.”

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