Icelandic company Kerecis has developed a nasal and oral spray that kills 99.97% of the COVID-19 virus, RÚV reports.
The spray is based on a technology called Viruxal, which is used in wound dressings produced by the company. It is already widely used in hospitals to help heal wounds and prevent infections. When an emergency situation hit Italy due to COVID-19 in the spring, Viruxal bandages were used on the mouths of patients who had initial symptoms of the virus. Statistics show that the use of these bandages was very successful.
”The idea is that if you want extra protection, if you are going out to eat, on a bus or on a plane. You can spray this in your nose and mouth for added protection”, says Guðmundur Fertram Sigurjónsson, CEO of Kerecis. The spray should be used only as a preventative measure against COVID-19, and using it does not mean that other personal preventive measures, such as hand washing and wearing masks, can be forgotten.
How it works
People infected with COVID-19 mainly catch the virus through the nose. Here the virus settles in the mucous membrane in the nose, where it multiplies and spreads. Guðmundur explains: “The spray contains fatty acids that dissolve the virus, or the fat layer on the virus. Just as hand soap does on our hands, this forms a protective layer that dissolves the virus when inhaled.”
Utah State University’s research into the spray shows great promise, with 99.97% of the virus being destroyed when mixed with the spray in test tubes. Research is currently underway on patients at Landspítali under the supervision of the COVID-19 outpatient department. The spray is already available in pharmacies in Iceland, with the international market set to move in the next few months.
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