Study finds common nasal spray may lower risk of COVID-19 infection

A new study suggests that a commonly-used over-the-counter nasal spray may reduce the risk of a COVID infection. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, azelastine nasal spray is commonly prescribed to ease allergy-related symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, itching, and sneezing. It is used for both seasonal and year-round hay fever, as well as vasomotor and other upper respiratory allergies.

Dig deeper:

German scientists at Saarland University Hospital conducted a study that included 450 participants, split into two groups: 227 received azelastine, while 223 were given a placebo. 

RELATED: Keeping kids healthy as they head back to school

About two-thirds of the participants were women, and the average age was 33. Most were White (92.7%), with small numbers identifying as African (0.9%), Asian (4.9%), or other ethnicities (1.6%).

Results showed that only 2.2% of those taking azelastine tested positive for COVID-19, compared with 6.7% in the placebo group. Researchers said this represented a significant reduction in infection risk.

Those who did become infected while using azelastine also took longer to test positive—about 31 days compared to 19 days for the placebo group. Fewer participants on azelastine developed symptomatic COVID-19 (21 vs. 49), and the spray was also linked to fewer rhinovirus infections (1.8% vs. 6.3%).

Importantly, side effects were similar in both groups, suggesting the treatment was well tolerated.

Why you should care:

A new single-center trial found that azelastine nasal spray may lower the risk of COVID-19 respiratory infections. 

RELATED: Human plague case reported; patient likely exposed while camping

Researchers say the results suggest the spray could be a safe preventive option, though larger multi-center studies are needed to confirm the findings.

What they're saying:

"It was a small but significant result," Dr. Bruce Hirsch, an an infectious disease specialist at Northwell Health, told The New York Post.

"This doesn’t replace all the other things that we need to do to prevent ourselves from getting sick and getting COVID in the first place," he added. 

Why getting a COVID-19 vaccine is more complicated

Dig deeper:

A once-straightforward seasonal vaccine process has become muddled this year because of new federal guidance on who the shots are approved for. It raises questions about whether pharmacists will provide the shots and if insurers will cover them.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has OK’d new shots from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax, but the approvals came with some new caveats. And it’s not clear yet how that will play out.

Until now, the U.S. — following guidance from independent experts who advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — has recommended yearly COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone age 6 months and older.

But Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired every member of that Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices earlier this year. The replacements he selected have yet to make new recommendations.