Nasal spray taken once a week could protect against Covid-19

A nasal spray given once or twice a week could offer protection against coronavirus, according to new research.

Human trials could start within four months after studies on ferrets, led by an expert from Public Health England (PHE), found the spray could reduce infection and prevent transmission.

The therapy, developed by Australian biotech company Ena Respiratory, was originally developed to boost the natural immune system to fight colds and flu.

But trials showed that INNA-051 could reduce Covid-19 replication by up to 96 per cent after it managed to boost the immune response prior to infection.

A sample is checked at a Covid-19 testing centre. A nasal spray could be the new medicine in the fight against coronavirus. Picture: John Devlin

The new research, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, is published on the research site, medRxiv.

Ena Respiratory managing director Dr Christophe Demaison said: “We’ve been amazed with just how effective our treatment has been.

“By boosting the natural immune response of the ferrets with our treatment, we’ve seen a rapid eradication of the virus.

“If humans respond in a similar way, the benefits of treatment are two-fold.”