You might have heard someone mention a nasal spray for COVID.  I’ve heard people talk about it here and there, though not in much detail. Lucky for me and my podcast listeners, DR. Hector Aguilar-Carreno came on Causes or Cures to discuss his and his team’s research on a nasal spray for COVID.

His and and his team’s research was published in Nature, May’22 and titled:  A TMPRSS2 inhibitor acts as a pan-SARS-CoV-2 prophylactic and therapeutic. ( TMPRSS2 is pronounced “Temp-ress”. I’m letting you know, because you’ll hear it used a lot in the podcast.
During the episode,  he breaks down the study and in an easy-to-understand way explain what TMPRSS2 is and how it relates to COVID-19 infection; the inhibitors and how they work; results when tested on cells and mice; why a nasal spray would be the most ideal way to administer this; public health implications, and where they are at in the research process. He also discusses timing, meaning when it would be most beneficial to use the nasal spray for COVID. Basically he pitches it as a preventive tool and an early-treatment tool. You’ll also hear me discuss my upcoming trip to Europe and how I wish a nasal spray was available! I would totally use it before hopping on a plane and crossing the ocean to a different country. A nasal spray sounds especially appealing asthe durability of the COVID vaccines continues to be a big question.

Who is Dr. Aguilar-Carreno ? He is a virologist, professor and researcher with the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. He’ll also talk more about what he does in the podcast.

If you guys want to listen to the episode, please click here. 

And, as always, a big thank you to everyone who supports the podcast. Most of you know that it is not a paid endeavor for me. That said, it takes up a lot of time, and right now, I’m the only one finding the guests, researching the topic so I can ask good questions that will be valuable to you, scheduling and doing the podcast, editing the podcast, creating the cover art and publishing it. I’m mentioning this so you understand why I can’t get an episode out as fast as some of you might desire. I still have a day job to attend to. I’m also trying to keep the podcast ad-free,  because I know ads are annoying and then make you wonder about the independence of the podcast, but it’s a lot of work to continue to maintain it. So, thanks for the support, and I hope it adds value for you.

In addition to the podcast on nasal spray for COVID, also consider checking out:

Natural Immunity, Kids and COVID

The MonkeyPox Outbreak that started in Nigeria in 2017,with an Infectious Disease expert in Nigeria

Read my book Manic Kingdom here!