PVP-I is a microbicidal agent with a virucidal efficacy of 99.99%
When applied, the oronasal spray acts as a protective layer, coating the nasal and oral mucosa, which helps prevent SARS-CoV-2 from binding with ACE2 receptors and gaining entry into your cells
In a clinical trial that has not yet been published, a 0.6% PVP-I solution had an efficacy rate of about 81.5% with “almost no mucosal irritation”
Povidone iodine solutions have been found to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in as little as 15 seconds and potentially reduce the carriage of infectious SARS-CoV-2 in people with mild to moderate COVID-19
Nebulized hydrogen peroxide diluted with normal saline, plus Lugol’s iodine, can also be used for any suspected respiratory infection; the earlier you start, the better
A simple mouth and nose spray could act as an effective shield to protect against COVID-19, adding one more tool to the arsenal of antiviral options. The straightforward solution was recommended by Dr. Mostafa Kamal Arefin of Dhaka Medical College & Hospital in Bangladesh and includes polyvinyl pyrrolidone or povidone iodine (PVP-I), a microbicidal agent with a virucidal efficacy of 99.99%.
Writing in the Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, Arefin recommended the PVP-I oro-nasal spray for health care workers and anyone else to help prevent COVID-19,2 echoing a number of other studies that have also found benefits to gargling, nasal irrigation and nebulization of PVP-I and other compounds, including Lugol’s iodine, saline and hydrogen peroxide.
How Oronasal Sprays May Shield You From COVID-19
Arefin’s oronasal spray is made of a 0.6% PVP-I solution, kept in a “simple nasal spray device.” The spray formulation works better than drops, he noted, because it allows the active ingredient to diffuse further and reach deeper into the nose and nasopharynx, which is the upper part of the throat behind the nose. When applied, the oronasal spray acts as a protective layer, coating the nasal and oral mucosa.
Typically, if you’re exposed to SARS-CoV-2, it will enter your body through your nose and mouth, remaining there for a time before binding with ACE2 receptors and entering cells. Once inside your cells, the virus has an opportunity to multiply.
“The first step in the development of URTIs [upper respiratory tract infections],” Arefin writes, “is the adherence and colonization of the respiratory pathogen to the nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal mucosa. Assuming nasal and oral entry of such pathogens, intranasal and intra oral application of Povidone Iodine offers a practical measure for their prevention.”
By creating a protective shield, oronasal spray helps prevent SARS-CoV-2 from binding with ACE2 receptors and gaining entry into your cells. In a clinical trial that has not yet been published.
Arefin and colleagues got positive results using 0.6% PVP-I Oro-nasal spray in 189 patients with COVID-19. The 0.6% solution had an efficacy rate of about 81.5%, which was greater than that of other concentrations (0.4% and 0.5%) and produced “almost no mucosal irritation.”
