Lookout Event Thursday: Doctor and Nurse with Diverging Views to Discuss Covid-19 Prevention Via Nasal Sprays and Vaccines
Nasal sprays are emerging as a new defense against Covid-19 to add to vaccines, masks, hand-washing and social distancing, according to two local medical professionals. However, they diverge in their views of both sprays and vaccines and will discuss their perspectives at a Tri-State Lookout event on Thursday.
Infectious disease specialist Doug Manion, of Milford, recently worked for a company doing research on anti-Covid-19 nasal sprays. He had begun doing pharmaceutical research after many of his patients died of AIDS. He led clinical research in the 1990’s that resulted in the single-pill drug that prevents HIV from progressing to AIDS.
Barbara Marszalek, a Port Jervis psychiatric nurse practitioner, is selling a new anti-viral Covid-19 nasal spray product, Cofix Rx, that recently became available, formulated by friends from her undergraduate years at St. Mary’s College in Michigan.
“The community should know about nasal sprays, whether they’re vaccinated or not,” said Marszalek. “With the new Delta variant, you can further prevent sickness, just like washing your hands or sneezing into your elbow. Even with the vaccine, you can get sick.”
Some vaccinated people have gotten breakthrough infections, , Manion says. But their symptoms tend to be milder than those of the unvaccinated, with over 99.9% of Covid-19 deaths and 97% of hospital izations occurring among the unvaccinated. However, Marszalek has voiced doubts about the safety of the vaccines, especially because they have only emergency FDA approval and have been in existence for such a brief period.
Manion contends that the vaccines are some of the most effective and safe ever made, and the threat of Covid-19 would diminish if more people got vaccinated, although he expects the virus to persist indefinitely. The Pfizer vaccine may be fully FDA approved this week, according to the New York Times.
Marszalek says that Cofix Rx, made of a 1.25% solution of povid iodine, a safe, FDA approved ingredient, is protective in the nostrils against Covid-19 for eight hours or more.
“It’s an additional protection. If you’re not outside with others, you don’t need it,” said Marszalek.
However, while she contends that the spray works for eight hours or more, Manion says, “The nasal spray holds promise, but there are no well controlled randomized studies of them, and I’ve seen none approved by the FDA to prevent Covid-19.”
He doubts that the spray would be effective for eight hours because of the natural action of the nostrils to clear foreign matter—”mucociliary clearance.” Other recent research on nasal sprays has encountered this obstacle, prompting experiments with gels, Manion said.
“Several kinds of nasal sprays are being tested to be used in addition to other protections,” he said.
He is troubled by resistance to vaccine use, as he closely follows Covid-19 infection statistics showing that while older people are being infected less because more are vaccinated, children are increasingly becoming infected.
“Fourteen times more children tested positive last week—121,000—than the last week of June, and more children are currently hospitalized for COVID-19—over 1300—than at any time in the pandemic,” he said. “ Since last May, around 4404 U.S. children and adolescents have also developed a rare condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome, MIS-C, weeks after having had COVID, and 37 of them have died.”
Pfizer vaccines are now approved for children 12-17, with results indicating 100% protection for 12-15 year olds, he noted.
Marszalek and Manion will speak and lead discussions about Covid-19 vaccines and nasal sprays at the First Presbyterian Church on Thursday, Aug. 26, at 7 p.m., 60 Sussex St., Port Jervis. Free. For information: Email tristatelookout@gmail.com