OTC Nasenspray reduziert das Risiko einer Covid-199-Infektion um 70% | Azelastin -Nasenspray könnte eine zusätzliche leicht zugängliche Prophylaktik bieten, um bestehende Schutzmaßnahmen zu ergänzen.

From the article: The active ingredient in a common over-the-counter allergy spray may do more than ease hay fever symptoms. A new clinical trial found azelastine cut COVID-19 infections by 70%, hinting at a cheap, accessible way to add protection alongside vaccines.

Let’s be honest: when it comes to COVID-19 prevention, the conversation usually starts and ends with vaccines. But researchers say your everyday allergy spray might have a surprising new role.

A Phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial led by researchers from Saarland University in Germany has found that a widely used over-the-counter (OTC) anti-allergy nasal spray containing azelastine not only significantly reduced the likelihood of people being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but it also lowered the incidence of infections with the common cold.

“This clinical trial is the first to demonstrate a protective effect in a real-world setting,” said Professor Robert Bals, MD, Director of Saarland’s department of Pulmonology, Allergology, Respiratory Intensive Care and Environmental Medicine. “Azelastine nasal spray could provide an additional easily accessible prophylactic to complement existing protective measures, especially for vulnerable groups, during periods of high infection rates, or before traveling.”

The [researchers](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2838335) recruited 450 healthy adults, with an average age of around 33, into the trial. Almost all participants had been vaccinated against COVID-19. They were randomly assigned to receive either azelastine (0.1%) nasal spray or placebo. They used the spray three times a day for 56 days. In cases of coronavirus exposure or symptoms, participants could increase the dose to five times daily for three days. They were tested for COVID-19 with rapid antigen tests (RATs) twice weekly. Positive results were confirmed with PCR. If a participant had symptoms but a negative RAT, they were tested for a wide range of respiratory viruses.

In the azelastine group, 2.2% of participants became infected with COVID-19 vs. 6.7% in the placebo group. This means azelastine users had about a 70% lower risk of getting infected with the virus. There were also fewer symptomatic COVID cases in the azelastine group (1.8% vs. 6.3%). It took longer for those in the treatment group to catch the virus compared to the placebo group; an average of 31 days vs. 19 days. And, the azelastine group had a lower incidence of infection with the common cold (rhinovirus). Overall respiratory infections in the azelastine group were 9.3% vs. 22% in the placebo group. Side effects were generally mild and already known for azelastine, such as bitter taste, occasional nosebleeds, and tiredness. Serious adverse events occurred rarely and, the researchers said, weren’t linked to using the nasal spray.