An over-the-counter nasal spray which has been used for years as a safe and effective treatment for seasonal allergies could potentially prevent Covid infections , according to clinical trial results released Tuesday.

The antihistamine azelastine works as an antiviral against a range of respiratory infections, including influenza, RSV and the virus that causes Covid , a growing number of studies have shown.

German scientists at Saarland University Hospital recruited 450 adults, mostly in their early 30s. The first group of 227 participants tested a puff of the nasal spray in each nostril, three times a day. The other 223 were instructed to do the same, but with a placebo spray.

All participants were given Covid rapid tests twice a week over the course of nearly two months. By the

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