Xylitol Nasal Spray Prevents SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Study

Xylitol Nasal Spray Prevents SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Study
(Josep Suria/Shutterstock)
Dr. Peter A. McCullough
John Leake
2/26/2023
Updated:
3/24/2023
0:00

The sophisticated American consumer has grown accustomed to the gold standard for drug and health products—the prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (RCT). Operation Warp Speed (OWS) was supposed to be a churning mill of large RCTs to help the nation understand what conclusively is effective in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

Unfortunately, after three years, OWS has delivered failed products (remdesivir, baricitinib, molnupiravir, COVID-19 vaccines) and small inconclusive trials of products that doctors have found effective in practice, including off-target generic antivirals and anticoagulants. Operation Warp Speed didn’t test simple, affordable, available prevention strategies. Fortunately, such RCTs were done outside of the United States and have brought us important findings.

Balmforth, et al., conducted a prospective double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a xylitol-based nasal spray in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection in exposed healthcare workers in two hospitals in Uttar Pradesh, India. Xylitol is known to have anti-infective and anti-inflammatory properties and is used in XLEAR nasal spray and anti-infective chewing gum to prevent dental caries.

Damian Balmforth, a cardiac surgeon at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, and a team of researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by serology was 71 percent lower with xylitol compared to placebo [36 cases (13.1 percent) vs. 97 cases (34.5 percent); odds ratio [OR] 0.29 (95 percent CI; 0.18–0.45), p < 0.0001]. Fewer clinical symptoms were also seen in the test group [57 cases (17.6 percent) vs. 112 cases (34.6 percent); OR 0.40, (95 percent CI; 0.27–0.59), p < 0.0001].

No harmful effects were associated with xylitol. A smaller study of xylitol nasal spray in mild COVID-19 cases demonstrated that persistent loss of smell may be eliminated with xylitol nasal spray during the acute congestion phase.

Balmforth D, Swales JA, Silpa L, Dunton A, Davies KE, Davies SG, Kamath A, Gupta J, Gupta S, Masood MA, McKnight Á, Rees D, Russell AJ, Jaggi M, Uppal R. Evaluating the efficacy and safety of a novel prophylactic nasal spray in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection: A multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. J Clin Virol. 2022 Oct;155:105248. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2022.105248. Epub 2022 Jul 25. PMID: 35952426; PMCID: PMC9313533.
Balmforth D, Swales JA, Silpa L, Dunton A, Davies KE, Davies SG, Kamath A, Gupta J, Gupta S, Masood MA, McKnight Á, Rees D, Russell AJ, Jaggi M, Uppal R. Evaluating the efficacy and safety of a novel prophylactic nasal spray in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection: A multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. J Clin Virol. 2022 Oct;155:105248. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2022.105248. Epub 2022 Jul 25. PMID: 35952426; PMCID: PMC9313533.

I’ve been impressed with the RCTs of topical nasal sprays and gargles in COVID-19 far more than those with oral or intravenous drugs. Xylitol available as XLEAR in U.S. pharmacies is one of several choices for local nasopharyngeal protection and treatment of COVID-19.

Reposted from Peter A. McCullough’s Substack
References:
Dr. McCullough is a practicing internist, cardiologist, and epidemiologist in Dallas, Texas. He studies the cardiovascular complications of both the viral infection and the injuries developed from COVID vaccines. He has dozens of peer-reviewed publications on COVID, multiple U.S. and state Senate testimonies, and has commented extensively on the medical response to the COVID crisis on major media outlets.
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