Researchers in the UK have developed a nasal spray that can prevent COVID-19 for up to two days, and may be available over the counter in the summer, according to a report.
The spray, developed by scientists at the University of Birmingham, prevents infection by capturing the bug in the nose and covering it with a coating from which it cannot escape, The Telegraph reported.
As a result, it would be safe for someone to exhale near another person because the virus would be inactive and harmless, the medium said.
Dr Richard Moakes, the study’s lead researcher, said he was confident the spray could end restrictions on social distancing and “make schools work again”.
“We think it will help schools, because one of the good things about nasal spray formulation is that it shouldn’t be reformulated for kids,” Moakes told The Telegraph.
“If it could make it easier for students to go back to school and restore education, it would be fantastic.”
The spray includes an antiviral agent called carrageenan (also used as a thickening agent in food) and a solution called gelan, a gelling agent that adheres to the cells of the nose.
Gellan can be sprayed as fine drops inside the nasal cavity, where it can cover the surface evenly and stay in the delivery place instead of sliding down the nose.
These ingredients are already approved for medical use, meaning they do not require additional approval, The Telegraph noted.
“Depending on the product, it will be much faster to reach the user than a new drug,” Moakes told the Telegraph.
“I am sure that the formulation can have an impact. Our goal is to make an impact as soon as possible. We would very much like this to happen in the summer ”.
Researchers, who have been developing the spray since April 2020, are in talks with stores and pharmaceutical giants about the next steps to mass-produce it, The Telegraph reported. It is unclear when or when it might be available outside the UK.
The researchers announced in November that laboratory experiments showed that the spray prevented the spread of an infection for 48 hours.
Scientists believe that using it four times a day would be enough for general protection, although it is safe enough to use every 20 minutes in a high-risk environment, such as crowded schools.