"Like all trials, there are limitations. As mentioned, the number of infections here is small-the impressive efficacy numbers could potentially vanish in a larger trial with more infections. And, while the trial had a high-quality design, it was undertaken in just one location in Germany and mostly involved healthy white women between the ages of 20 and 46, so the findings are not generalizable."
"Still, with the previous studies, the trial offers some hope that this accessible nasal spray could be used as a viral prophylactic for respiratory seasons in the future. And the results land at a time when access to COVID-19 vaccines-which have firmly proven to be safe and highly effective-has been severely restricted in the US by health secretary and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr."
"As it stands now, it appears that only people ages 65 and over, and those at higher risk of COVID-19 will have access to the shots this year, though some aspects of that access are murky, including how people will prove they're at high risk. For healthy children, teens, and adults under 65, there may be no access or extremely limited access. That includes groups that medical experts recommend get vaccinated, namely healthy pregnant people and children ages 6 months to 23 months."
The trial featured a small number of infections, meaning its impressive efficacy figures could disappear in a larger study. The trial used a high-quality design but was conducted at a single site in Germany and mostly enrolled healthy white women aged 20 to 46, limiting generalizability. The study received funding from a pharmaceutical company that makes an azelastine nasal spray. Together with prior studies, the findings suggest the nasal spray might serve as an accessible viral prophylactic for future respiratory seasons. US COVID-19 vaccine access will be severely restricted to people 65+ and some high-risk groups, leaving many without shots. Reported side effects were minor.
Read at Ars Technica
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