Virucidal activity of nasal sprays against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2

The highest viral loads of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 are detectable in the oral cavity, so a potential reduction of infectious virus by nasal and oral sprays could reduce transmission. Therefore, the inactivation capacity of nine nasal and oral sprays was evaluated according to EN 14476. One nasal spray based on sodium hypochlorite and one oral spray containing essential oils reduced viral titres by two to three orders of magni-tude. Although clinical data are still sparse, nasal and oral sprays display a more con-venient application for elderly people or those who are unable to rinse/gargle. (c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Healthcare Infection Society. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

The highest viral loads of SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in the oral cavity, and nasal and oral sprays have the potential to reduce transmission. Two sprays, one nasal spray with sodium hypochlorite and one oral spray with essential oils, effectively reduced viral titres. These sprays are more convenient for elderly individuals or those unable to rinse or gargle.