Beijing

A Chinese research on the efficacy of antibody nasal spray against Covid infection claimed an 80 per cent prevention rate. However, reports citing experts urged caution, saying that antibody nasal spray has its side effects. During COVID-19 outbreak in November, thousands of health workers were recruited in inner Mongolia for the study. According to a paper posted into preprint server medRxiv, those who used the antibody nasal spray twice a day were infected at about one-fifth the rate of those who did not. 

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The spray was developed by Sinovac Life Sciences and contains a broad-spectrum antibody known as SA58 to neutralise Covid. During the course of study, about 1,800 adverse events were reported, including runny or dry nose and sneezing. The authors, however, claimed that the adverse events "were all mild and disappeared quickly without affecting daily work".

"This clinical study of the SA58 nasal spray on medical personnel showed good tolerance and good effectiveness for preventing Covid-19 infections, suggesting further application in other populations in the real world," they added.

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The research paper is yet to be peer-reviewed. 

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More than 6,600 medical personnel were recruited for the study, South China Morning Post reported. 

The nasal spray was given to about half the participants, who were told to apply it twice a day and report any adverse events via WeChat. Both groups underwent PCR testing every day during the study, which ran from October 31 to November 30.

Needle-free Covid vaccines have been rolled out in some countries, including China, the current global epicentre of the pandemic.

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