A NASAL spray from Boots that costs just £6 is to be tested to see if it could stop coronavirus.
The over-the-counter treatment contains a special ingredient – which is a form of seaweed – to dampen the symptoms of cold and flu.
Now, researchers at Swansea University will test Boots’ Dual Defence Nasal Spray, which costs £5.99 for 20ml, against Covid-19.
The team will enrol 480 healthworkers, including nurses and doctors in their study.
Medics are slightly more at risk of catching the coronavirus due to working in close proximity to Covid-19 patients.
Half will be given the nasal spray, and half will be given a placebo – a dummy drug with no effect.
Experts will then look at how many workers caught Covid-19 and if the cheap over-the-counter spray is preventative.
They will also measure the severity of the disease in those who do catch it, including if there are any differences in duration of illness, time in intensive care and even death rates between the two groups.
The results are expected as early as March 2021.
Principal investigator Dr Zita Jessop said: “After seeing the effects of this pandemic on colleagues caring for patients with Covid-19, we wanted to find a way for research to help protect frontline NHS staff.
“Previous studies highlighted the effectiveness of iota-carrageenan-based nasal sprays against coronaviruses, indicating promise against SARS-Cov-2.
“If the results of this randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial are positive as we expect, this has the potential to add an extra prevention strategy in the fight against Covid-19.”
Richard Evans, Executive Medical Director, Swansea Bay University Health Board, said: “Although the prospect of effective vaccines is now on the horizon, it’s still vitally important that we explore all opportunities to investigate new treatments for Covid-19.”
