Coronavirus: nasal spray made in Israel reduced infection in mass concentration

Coronavirus: nasal spray made in Israel reduced infection in mass concentration

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A nasal spray may have reduced coronavirus infection rates at a mass meeting during Rosh Hashanah in the highly endemic community in Bnei Brak, according to new preliminary research.

About 83 members of an ultra-Orthodox synagogue in Bnei Brak used the “Traffix” nasal spray during Rosh Hashanah services, and after two weeks, 2.4% of Traffix users were infected with the coronavirus, while 10% of non-users were infected with the coronavirus.

The odds ratio for coronavirus infection in Traffix users was reduced by 78%.

The results led the researchers to recommend the use of Traffix in addition to other precautionary measures. No side effects were reported among users.

The nasal spray, created by Nasus Pharma, is a nasal powder inhaler that creates a protective layer over the nasal mucosa, preventing viruses from infecting nasal cells. The main ingredient of Traffix, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, forms a mucoadhesive gel that covers nasal cells, preventing viruses from getting involved with receptors.

It also creates an acidic microenvironment that can last for five hours and has been shown to prevent respiratory diseases, such as the N1H1 flu and rhinovirus. The spray has been approved for use in Europe and Israel.

Nasus Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company based in Tel Aviv that develops intranasal powder products for the treatment of patients in acute emergency situations. The company focuses on nasal products due to the greater dispersion and faster absorption of nasal treatments.

The research was completed by researchers from the University of Haifa, University of Virginia, Nasus Pharma and Hadassah Medical Center. It is preliminary and has not yet been peer-reviewed.

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