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India is currently witnessing the ferocious second wave of coronavirus with active cases rising every day from each corner of the country. On Friday, India registered a staggering number of 4,14,188 new coronavirus infection cases, taking the total coronavirus tally of the country to 2,14,91,598. At a time like this, experts have stated that an emergency approval of Anti-COVID nasal spray could become a 'game changer' for the country's fight against the deadliest virus attack. The experts believe that an anti-COVID nasal spray can provide effective protection against the novel coronavirus and help stop the infection from taking more lives.
The anti-COVID nasal spray which is a self-administered spray made up of nitric oxide is developed by Vancouver biotech firm SaNOtize. According to the reports, the spray was found to be highly effective in UK and Canada clinical trials. Also, it was showing efficacy against the UK COVID-19 variants.
"The anti-covid nasal spray is something that you can carry with you like a hand sanitizer and use it every time you might have been exposed," founder of SaNOtize Dr. Gilly Regev was quoted as saying. She added that if this was brought to the market it would have saved millions of lives. Regev also asserted that people who have used it so far have got the safety shield against the coronavirus which has claimed millions of lives worldwide. "What I would have loved right now is to go and give it to a whole town in India and show that everyone using it is not getting infected," Regev told a leading newspaper organization.
The results of the clinical trials of SaNOtize's Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray (NONS) have shown that the spray is a highly effective antiviral treatment of Covid19 transmission.
Speaking to the media, Dr. Stephen Winchester, Consultant Medical Virologist and Chief Investigator of this NHS Clinical Trial said, "I expect this to be a major advance in the global battle against the devastating human impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This simple portable nasal spray could be highly effective in the treatment of COVID-19 and reducing onward transmission. Our trial included patients with a variant of concern and high viral loads yet still demonstrated significant reductions in the levels of SARS-CoV-2, which could be critical in supporting vaccines, preventing future outbreaks, and safely reopening economies. Simply stated, I think this could be revolutionary."
Unlike the vaccine shots against the novel coronavirus which are being administered in India right now, this is a spray which one can use anytime and anywhere. Here's what the anti-COVID nasal spray is made up of speaking to the media, the lead author of the research paper on the nasal spray, Dr. Richard Moakes, said: "This spray is made from readily available products that are already being used in food products and medicines and we purposely built these conditions into our design process. It means that, with the right partners, we could start mass production within weeks."
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The experts have stated that this anti-COVID nasal spray can significantly help in minimizing the seriousness level of SARS-CoV-2 infection even for the ones with high viral loads of the UK's COVID-19 variant. But the question is how does it work? Let's understand.
The spray works in two primary ways, here is a brief about how it stops the COVID-19 virus from infecting an individual.
Firstly, the spray catches and holds the virus inside the nostril (noses) through which it enters the human body. Then it coats the virus and destroys it via two normal routes either via nose blowing or by swallowing.
Secondly, since the virus is encapsulated in the spray's acting, it helps prevent it from infecting the body. This means it reduces the effectiveness of the COVID virus and helps prevent the infected person from spreading the virus to other healthy individuals.
In simple words The anti-COVID nasal spray helps in killing the coronavirus in the upper airways the moment it enters, thus preventing it from incubating and making its way to the lungs and spreading further to other parts of the body.
Speaking to the media, Co-author Professor Liam Grover, said: "Although our noses filter 1000s of litres of air each day, there is not much protection from infection, and most airborne viruses are transmitted via the nasal passage. The spray we have formulated delivers that protection but can also prevent the virus from being passed from person to person."
Israel has already given a nod to using the anti-covid nasal spray as one of the best medical tools to fight the battle against novel coronavirus. The company is however wait for the final approval from India to give the vaccines to the country and ward off the coronavirus infection which is spreading rapidly.
With a record 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598, while the active cases crossed the 36-lakh mark. The death toll has increased to 2,34,083 with 3,915 fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours.
Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 36,45,164 comprising 16.96 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 81.95 per cent. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,76,12,351, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.09 per cent.
A total of 2,34,083 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 73,515 from Maharashtra, 18,398 from Delhi, 17,212 from Karnataka, 14,974 from Tamil Nadu, 14,501 from Uttar Pradesh, 11,964 from West Bengal, 9,979 from Punjab, and 9,950 from Chhattisgarh.
What do you think about the anti-COVID nasal spray? Do you think approval of this can help the Indians fight the novel coronavirus effectively? Can it help us to win the battle against the devastating human impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic? Write your views in the comments section below.