Common nasal spray may help prevent COVID infections: Study

(NewsNation) — A commonly used over-the-counter nasal spray may help prevent COVID-19 infections, a recent clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine found.

The study was conducted at Saarland University Hospital in Germany and included twice-weekly COVID-19 testing on 450 healthy and mostly vaccinated adults. Roughly half were given azelastine nasal spray to take three times a day in each nostril, and the others were given a placebo.

Researchers found that by the end of the study, the prevalence of COVID-19 infections in the azelastine group was 2.2%, lower than the 6.7% rate of infection in the placebo group.

“Together, these results suggest that azelastine may provide meaningful protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection,” the study said.

Azelastine is an antihistamine widely used as an over-the-counter nasal spray treatment for allergies. The study found that azelastine also has many applications beyond allergenic use, including for influenza, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID).

"Azelastine nasal spray could provide an additional easily accessible prophylactic to complement existing protective measures, especially for vulnerable groups, during periods of high infection rates, or before travelling," Dr. Robert Bals, professor of internal medicine at Saarland University and the study’s senior author said in a release Tuesday.

The study's findings were limited by the relatively small sample size and the fact that participants were healthy, mostly vaccinated adults.