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NEW YORK (CBSNew York) – There has been a surprising discovery in a new study that shows that certain nasal sprays used by millions of people can actually protect against severe COVID-19.
These are the common nasal sprays used to treat allergies, but CBS2’s Dr Max Gomez says that doesn’t mean you should start using these sprays if you don’t need them.
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This is the time of year. What is commonly referred to as hay fever and fall allergies are mostly caused by ragweed, and if you really have it, chances are your doctor has suggested a nasal spray. This is not a decongestant but a corticosteroid spray – a fancy talk for a steroid spray that has almost no absorption beyond the nose but reduces the nasal inflammation that accompanies allergic rhinitis .
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
Now, a new study in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice has found that these steroid nasal sprays have a remarkable side effect as well.
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Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic looked at the records of more than 72,000 adults in their system and found that patients who used intranasal corticosteroids before COVID-19 illness were 22% less likely to be hospitalized, 23% less likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit and 24% less likely to die from COVID-19 while hospitalized.
Lead author of the study, Dr. Joe Zein, claims that steroid nasal sprays lower certain receptors on cells in the nose that the COVID-19 virus uses to infect these cells.
“The nose has the most receptors, much higher than the airways and lungs, and it makes more sense for the virus to infect where there are more receptors… The nose is the gateway to getting , have COVID-19, ”Zein said.
That’s why Zein says it doesn’t make sense to wear your mask just to cover your mouth, leaving your nose – the main route of COVID infection – exposed. Mask yourself!
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However, Zein also says it’s too early to start thinking about steroid nasal sprays as a treatment or prevention for COVID-19. This will require randomized clinical trials, which he hopes will soon be.
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