NBC The over-the-counter antihistamine azelastine works against a range of respiratory infections, including the flu and RSV, according to German researchers. An over-the-counter nasal spray which has been used for years as a safe and effective treatment for seasonal allergies could potentially prevent Covid infections, according to clinical trial results released Tuesday.
The antihistamine azelastine works as an antiviral against a range of respiratory infections, including influenza, RSV and the virus that causes Covid, a growing number of studies have shown.
German scientists at Saarland University Hospital recruited 450 adults, mostly in their early 30s. The first group of 227 participants tested a puff of the nasal spray in each nostril, three times a day. The other 223 were instructed to do the same, but with a placebo spray.