Can You Spray a Cold Away? Microbial Minutes
The nose is a primary entry point for respiratory viruses. Researchers are investigating nasal sprays that could help combat infection by trapping or killing viruses in the nose.
What's Hot in the Microbial Sciences?
Can you spray a cold away? Nasal sprays, made up of everything from saline to algae-derived sugars, have been explored for their ability to prevent or treat respiratory infections like COVID-19 or the common cold. But how—and how well—do they work? Key take-aways and resources from this Microbial Minutes are listed below.
Key Take-Aways
- Respiratory viruses attach to and infect cells lining the nasal passages, ultimately migrating into the throat and lungs. Researchers are investigating the ability of nasal sprays to stop them in their tracks.
- A large clinical trial suggested that people who used either a gel-based or saline nasal spray were sick for ~2 fewer days over 6 months compared to those who received usual care (i.e., advice about managing illness). In addition, compared to the usual care group, the duration of illness in people with self-reported respiratory infections was reduced by about 3 days in the nasal spray groups.
- Other smaller studies similarly suggest that nasal sprays of diverse formulations reduce respiratory illness duration by varying amounts. Nevertheless, additional research is required to better understand the safety and efficacy of nasal sprays for infection prevention.
Resources
Featured Study
- Little P., et al. Nasal sprays and behavioural interventions compared with usual care for acute respiratory illness in primary care: a randomised, controlled, open-label, parallel-group trial. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, July 11, 2024.
Additional Sources
- Barron M. How Viruses Spread Indoors and What to Do About It. American Society for Microbiology, Nov. 29, 2023.
- Bichiri D., et al. Safety and efficacy of iota-carrageenan nasal spray in treatment and prevention of the common cold. Medicine and Pharmacy Reports, Jan. 29, 2021.
- Bradford S. Clearing the Way for Nasal Vaccines. The Scientist, Jan. 8, 2025.
- BWH Communications. Drug-free nasal spray blocks, neutralizes viruses, bacteria. The Harvard Gazette, Sept. 25, 2024.
- Darling T.L., et al. Mucosal immunization with ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-S prevents sequential transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to unvaccinated hamsters. Science Advances, July 31, 2024.
- Dhama K., et al. COVID-19 intranasal vaccines: current progress, advantages, prospects, and challenges. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, March 8, 2022.
- European Respiratory Society. Saline nasal drops reduce the duration of the common cold in young children by two days. Sept. 6, 2024.
- Gershman, J. Can Nasal Sprays Treat or Prevent COVID? GoodRx, Dec. 2, 2024.
- Joseph J., et al. Toward a Radically Simple Multi-Modal Nasal Spray for Preventing Respiratory Infections. Advanced Materials, Sept. 24, 2024.
- Klussmann J. P., et al. Early intervention with azelastine nasal spray may reduce viral load in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. Scientific Reports, April 26, 2023.
- Lieu X., et al. A single-dose intranasal live-attenuated codon deoptimized vaccine provides broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Nature Communications, Aug. 26, 2024.
- Smith D. G. Could a Nasal Spray Help Protect You From Covid? New York Times, Sept. 28, 2023.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves Nasal Spray Influenza Vaccine for Self- or Caregiver-Administration, Sept. 20, 2024.
- Tandon, M., et al. SARS-CoV-2 accelerated clearance using a novel nitric oxide nasal spray (NONS) treatment: A randomized trial. The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia, Jan. 22, 2022.
- Walrath, R. The biopolymers behind a multimodal nasal spray. Chemical & Engineering News, Sept. 25, 2024.
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