Scientists have developed a new nasal spray that they say slashes your risk of Covid-19 by 78%.
The spray, called Taffix, costs just 7p/day, and provides five hours of protection with a single application.
Dr Dalia Meggido, co-founder and chief executive officer of Nasus Pharma, the firm behind the spray, said: “Taffix is not a replacement for masks, it is an additional layer of protection.
“Masks clearly help prevent infections, but they do not offer 100% protection. Taffix provides an additional layer of protection, which is particularly useful in high-risk settings such as public transport, shops and schools — basically any enclosed space.”
The spray uses hypromellose - a gel-forming powder that is often found in anti-allergy nasal sprays and products designed to combat the common cold.
Once sprayed into the nose, the gel forms a layer, preventing viruses from reaching your nasal membranes.
Meanwhile, the spray also contains a small amount of citric acid that slightly alters the pH within the nasal cavity, killing viruses on contact.
During trials conducted at the University of Virginia, Taffix was found to kill 99.99% of SARS-CoV-2.
And in real-life settings, it was found to reduce your risk of catching the virus by up to 78%, with no side effects.
Professor Barbara Mann, who led the study, said: “To our knowledge, this is the first time that any measure to prevent infection in COVID-19, beyond the use of masks, was proven effective.
“Given the excellent safety profile of Taffix and its statistically significant efficacy in preventing infection following what is defined as high risk infection event — it seems that this additional layer of protection can significantly reduce the risks of infection and may enable people to resume some part of their daily routine more safely.”
The Taffix spray costs £13.99, which equates to around 7p/spray. It’s available to buy now on the Taffix website here.
Dr Meggido added: “We all welcomed the recent news that we will soon have one, if not several vaccines, against COVID-19. But it will be some time before enough people are vaccinated to protect our communities, so it is likely to be a long and difficult winter and spring 2021.
“In addition Taffix is a nonspecific protection against respiratory viruses and as such will have an important role in preventing the annual influenza spread and other viruses that might threaten us.”
“In the meantime, Taffix helps to provide a safe, simple and clinically proven way to dramatically reduce the risk of catching COVID-19.”
