A common over-the-counter nasal spray used for seasonal allergies may also protect against COVID-19 infections, according to the results of a new study published on Tuesday in JAMA Internal Medicine. The antihistamine azelastine is effective against the flu and RSV. Now, it appears to help fight against COVID-19 as well.
Test group and methodology
Researchers from Saarland University Hospital in Germany tested 450 adults, mostly in their early 30s. Two hundred and twenty-seven people sprayed the antihistamine up each nostril three times daily. The other 223 were told to do the same, but with a placebo spray.
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Volunteers were tested for COVID-19 twice a week over a nearly two-month period. Scientists found COVID-19 infections in the group given azelastine stood at 2.2% compared to an infection rate of 6.7% in the placebo group.
Questions remain
Scientists said that it is unclear why the medication appears to work against COVID-19, but they have a couple of theories.
For one, it could bind the virus to the mucus membrane lining the nose, which viruses must get through to enter the body. Researchers also noted that it could block an enzyme that the virus uses for replication.
Another theory is that the nasal spray prevents COVID-19 from attaching to human cells.
Not a replacement for vaccines
The study’s lead author, Dr. Robert Bals, stated that further studies should be conducted for different age groups and demographics, noting that the participants in the trial were all young and relatively healthy.
Bals also cautioned that the nasal spray should not be used as a substitute for vaccinations, but said it is a potentially additional protective measure for individuals and vulnerable populations.
