Anti-viral spray found to reduce ability to transmit Covid-19

An anti-viral nasal spray has been found to substantially reduce viral loads in Covid-19 patients.

The spray, developed by the SaNOtize Research and Development Corporation in Canada, was found to cut viral loads by 95 per cent in 24 hours and 99 per cent in 72 hours, reducing a person’s ability to transmit the virus.

Enovid was granted emergency use authorisation by the Israeli Ministry of Health earlier this year and will be available in pharmacies across the country this week.

The spray releases a small dose of nitric oxide, which has proven anti-microbial properties, including against the virus that causes Covid-19.

Its effectiveness was reported on by The Jerusalem Post.

“We are thrilled to have Enovid available in pharmacies in Israel and we are moving as quickly and diligently as possible through regulatory approval processes elsewhere in the world,” said Dr Chris Miller, SaNOtize co-founder and chief science officer.

He said the spray “was shown to reduce viral load, which decreases a person’s viral transmission, regardless of variant”.

It can be used up to five times a day and will be suitable for children as young as 12, the report said.

Meanwhile, the UAE’s vaccination programme continues to advance.

At least 75.6 per cent of the population have received one dose, while 65.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.

The UAE reported 1,518 new coronavirus cases yesterday, after another 280,747 tests were conducted.

The number of daily new cases has been falling steadily since June 29, when 2,184 infections were reported.

The latest cases took the country’s total to 650,220.

Six people died, raising the death toll to 1,866.

Elsewhere, more than half the population of Saudi Arabia has now received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, the Health Ministry said. The kingdom has recorded 501,195 coronavirus cases.