Clinical efficacy of nitric oxide nasal spray (NONS) for the treatment of mild COVID-19 infection

Published online May 13, 2021 doi: 10.1016 / j.jnf.2021.05.009

Commentary

Researchers investigated the duration of COVID-19 viral shedding in infected patients and found that the virus did not survive 15 days after the onset of symptoms, even in patients with prolonged viral clearance.

This study will measure whether nitric oxide nasal spray (NONS) can accelerate the reduction of SARS-CoV-2 RNA load compared to saline spray.

The study recruited 80 participants divided into NONS treatment and placebo groups to test the effectiveness of NONS in treating mild COVID-19 infection.

The study results showed that treatment with NONS was effective in reducing viral load in patients with mild symptomatic COVID-19 infection and was safe. Patients with recent-onset disease were also enrolled in a study to evaluate the effect of early intervention with NONS on SARS-CoV-2 RNA load, and showed 16.2-fold lower viral load than placebo on days 2 and 4, and symptom resolution was also significant compared to placebo.

They explain that lowering SARS-CoV-2 RNA load with NONS treatment intervention may be beneficial in preventing infection, and that the higher viral load of SARS-CoV-2 patients earlier than SARS-CoV may pose a greater challenge in reducing future infections.

Furthermore, we observed that the risk of symptomatic COVID-19 was associated with the level of SARS-CoV-2,RNA in contact, and the incubation period was shortened in a dose-dependent manner.

Acceleration of SARS-CoV-2 clearance by NONS treatment may reduce the duration of symptoms, duration of infection, hospitalization, and decrease the severity of disease.

The results of this study were provided as evidence to support the emergency use of NONS for patients with "mild" COVID-19 infection.