nasal spray bottle - credit: dimarik16/dreamstime.com

A Glorious Defense

I have been loving my homemade hypochlorous acid (HOCl) “Hypoglorious” spray as a secret weapon against COVID – not only on hands and surfaces – but also inside my nose! Since disease-causing microbes incubate in the nasal passages before crawling deeper into the lungs, it makes perfect sense to attack them in their nest before they can spread.

“The mucosal lining of the nose is the main portal of entry for SARS-CoV-2. Mucosal cells contain the highest concentration of the factors needed for the virus to enter. The nose thus acts like an incubator in which the virus multiplies, and from which it is inhaled into the lungs or directly enters the brain.”1

Furthermore, the ACE2 receptor used by SARS-CoV-2 to establish infection is highly expressed in the mucosa of nose and mouth.2 This makes the nasal cavity is an important route of administration for COVID-19 therapies.3

Hypochlorous Acid Nasal Spray

HOCl is a key player in the innate host defense of mammalian immune systems. Our white blood cells manufacture HOCl using salt, and use it to oxidize invading microbes. Because HOCl is nonirritating and nontoxic, it is an ideal choice for a nasal spray. It’s also on the EPA’s List of Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2.

“Biologically, [HOCl] is part of the reactive oxygen species (ROS) synthesized by cells of the immune system (Neutrophils and Macrophages) during an immunological process known as “respiratory burst”, during phagocytosis of antigens in reaction with the enzyme myeloperoxidase (MPO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and a chlorine ion.”4

A pilot study has shown that saline nasal rinses during a common cold can reduce symptoms, duration, and infectiousness.5 Besides the obvious mechanical cleansing, it is thought that salt provides the building blocks for nasal cells to generate HOCl.6,7 So why not get it up there directly? It can also be used in a nebulizer or humidifier to inhale as a fog.8,9,10

A Swiss pharmaceutical company has also been investigating the use of HOCl nasal spray for early treatment of mild COVID.11 They use a “nanotechnology delivery platform, which entraps HClO in an aqueous solution, enabling it to be inhaled,” but it just sounds like a fancy spray bottle to me! 🤣

Nitric Oxide Nasal Spray

Another endogenous substance that is generated in the nasal cavity is nitric oxide (NO) gas. Announced as the 1992 “molecule of the year” for it’s role in dilating blood vessels, it’s discoverers were later awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1998. NO was also found to be a key player in the immune defense, forming a cloud of oxidizing gas that can kill invaders. And even later it was found to be essential in oxygen-hemoglobin binding. It is produced in high levels in the nasal cavity and inhaled down into the lungs to help open up the airways. NO levels can be naturally increased 15x simply by humming!12 The technique is known in yoga pranamaya as Bhramari (bee breath). You can learn Brahmari breathing here.

A Canadian company, Sanotize, has a patented delivery system, which I believe is a dual chamber spray bottle that makes NO gas by reaction of sodium nitrite and citric acid. It’s on my to-do list to experiment with this chemical reaction. Weird factoid: sale of sodium nitrite is banned from eBay in order to prevent murders and suicides.

Heparin Nasal Spray

One other nontoxic nasal spray that is being researched for COVID prevention is heparin. Heparin is an analog of heparan sulfate, an ubiquitous proteoglycan that is expressed on cell membranes and extracellular matrix. The idea is that it acts as a decoy, permamently binding viral spike particles so they are no longer infectious. Carageenan seaweed gel is being researched for similiar effects.13. Heparin nasal spray is being tested in an Australian clinical trial, with results expected to be published very soon.

Iodine Nasal Spray

And finally, there is good old-fashioned iodine, which can be used by immune cells to make hypoiodous acid. The most promising iodine nasal sprays are made with povidone iodine (PVP-I), which has been polymerized so that it evaporates slowly (over about 4 hours). PVP-I is the same kind of iodine found in Betadine to be used on cuts and wounds, as Betadine, and has a long track record of safety on skin and as a mouth wash. 0.6% PVP-I nasal spray is being explored for it’s protective potential against COVID.14 I tried it, but frankly I prefer HOCl because iodine is pretty nasty tasting for everyday use. However, in a pinch, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it.

Lugol’s iodine, a mixture of potassium iodide and elemental iodine, is popular form of iodine for internal use. Lugol’s evaporates more quickly than PVP-I, so would not provide as lasting of an effect on the nasal mucosa. However, internal iodine supplementation with Lugol’s might have an effect of increasing hypoiodous acid systemically. High-dose iodine supplementation should not be undertaken without understanding potential side-effects such as skin rashes from bromide/flouride detox, and thyroid symptoms.

Summary

I predict that nasal sprays are going to be the next big thing for COVID prevention. There are many possibilities for cheap and safe usage. Nasal sprays and nebulized fogs are also promising options for early therapy, though more research is needed to establish effectiveness.

Obligatory Disclaimer

The information presented here is for educational purposes only. I’m not a medical doctor and am not giving medical advice. Explore these therapies at your own risk, and consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner beforehand.



REFERENCES

  1. Galland (2022). Preventing COVID-19 with Nasal Sprays. ↩︎

  2. Hamming et al. (2004). Tissue distribution of ACE2 protein, the functional receptor for SARS coronavirus. A first step in understanding SARS pathogenesis. ↩︎

  3. Pilicheva & Boyuklieva (2021). Can the Nasal Cavity Help Tackle COVID-19? ↩︎

  4. Use of Hypochlorous Acid as Prophylaxis in Health Personnel at High Risk of Infection by SARS-CoV 2 (COVID19). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04684550 ↩︎

  5. Ramalingam et al. (2019) A pilot, open labelled, randomised controlled trial of hypertonic saline nasal irrigation and gargling for the common cold. ↩︎

  6. Ramalingam et al. (2018). Antiviral innate immune response in non-myeloid cells is augmented by chloride ions via an increase in intracellular hypochlorous acid levels. ↩︎

  7. Casale et al. (2020). Could nasal irrigation and oral rinse reduce the risk for COVID-19 infection? ↩︎

  8. Rasmussen et al. (2021) Inhalation of a fog of hypochlorous acid (HOCl): Biochemical, antimicrobial, and pathological assessment. ↩︎

  9. Transcript of talk on COVID with Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt 2020 ↩︎

  10. Dr. Christine Schaffner - How to Apply HOCl (video) ↩︎

  11. Trial to assess antimicrobial nasal spray in treating mild COVID-19 ↩︎

  12. Weitzberg & Lungberg (2002). Humming greatly increases nasal nitric oxide. ↩︎

  13. Carrageenan Nasal Spray for COVID-19 Prophylaxis (ICE-COVID) ↩︎

  14. Kamal (2021). Povidone Iodine (PVP-I) Oro-Nasal Spray: An Effective Shield for COVID-19 Protection for Health Care Worker (HCW), for all. ↩︎