The nasal spray reduced influenza virus levels by >99.99 percent, which could safeguard public health if validated in humans. Scientists at Brigham a

Novel nasal spray effectively prevents influenza infection

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2024-09-25 12:30:08

The nasal spray reduced influenza virus levels by >99.99 percent, which could safeguard public health if validated in humans.

Scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital have developed a spray which provides broad-spectrum protection from respiratory infections by COVID-19, influenza, everyday cold viruses, and pneumonia-causing bacteria. This may reduce respiratory diseases and safeguard public health if it can be validated in humans.

Dr Jeffrey Karp, co-senior author and distinguished chair in anaesthesiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, commented: “The COVID pandemic showed us what respiratory pathogens can do to humanity in a very short time. That threat hasn’t gone away…Not only do we have the flu to deal with seasonally, but we now have COVID, too.”

Although influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are beneficial, they are not perfect, as vaccinated individuals can still become infected and spread this infection to others. Furthermore, masks are not perfect either: they leak, and people wear them improperly, or choose not to wear them entirely. Therefore, new methods to reduce transmission of the disease are required.