Hey all, covid season is about to really ramp up - so here's a few things you might not be doing that can help
As an immunocompromised person, i'm begging you to consider doing one or three of these things. I've seen very few people talk about them because we want the pandemic to be over, so i'm trying to spread the word, especially as cases go up with winter+holidays.
#1 --- Nasal sprays/prophylactics.
There are several nasal sprays on the market that have been proven to reduce the risk of covid by up to 80%.
(That study was done on a nasal spray with Iota-carrageenan.)
The nasal spray Covixyl was proven to reduce covid infections in healthcare workers by 62%
Nasal sprays with xylitol in them also showed efficacy at lowering viral load, and also helping symtoms if you've contracted covid.
Xlear is one such brand. They were actually sued for saying they prevented covid, and then proved *in a federal court of law* that they were able to prevent covid and treat covid symptoms by 62% - (link here)
You can find similar nasal sprays with xylitol at your local pharmacy, which may be less effective (Studies may vary), but STILL helpful as a preventative.
These sprays last about four hours, and are used prior to engaging with people (and ideally while masking, but even sans mask these are very helpful!)
The sprays in the US range from about $12 to $35, and can be found on amazon and probably your local pharmacy or walmart. Seriously, just blow your nose, use a spray in each nostril, go about your day.
#2 - Mouthwashes with Cetylpyridinium chloride
The ingredient Cetylpyridinium chloride has been proven to lower viral load. Links: here, here, here
Mouthwashes with povidone-iodine, or chlorhexidine gluconate also proved effective but here's the thing: CPC is found in mouthwashes like Crest, Colgate, and Therabreath.
I can buy a mouthwash for $5 at my local grocery that helps reduce viral load just by rinsing my mouth out when I get home after an event.
Usually, the label will advertise active ingredients on the front or cap, so it's not hard to look for.
#3 -- nasal sanitizers.
These have been used in the hospital for a while - if you've had an "elective" procedure done since covid, you might have had your snoot cleaned out with an orange scented q-tip. This is to reduce nasal viral load. It's mostly for use with MRSA right now, but with how much people touch the nose area and how much covid is shed from the nasal passages before/after symptom onset, this can help with spread of covid. To be very clear, full double-blind studies have not been done yet, but it does show some promise.
Either iodine solutions or the brand NOZIN are good options.
These would be used when you got home/after spending time with people to cleanse your nose.
I bought my bottle on amazon for about $25, and it's still going strong ages later. (To be fair, I mostly use it for events where there's been little social distancing or ive felt exposed).
---
TL;DR - if you dont want to read all the studies, here's a good cheap prevention plan:
~Use XLEAR nasal spray before you leave or interact with people ($13.50 on cvs website)
~Come home and use a CPL mouthwash like Crest ($5 on amazon)
~Use a nasal sanitizer with iodine or like nazin - $18-25 after exposure
Combine this with your use of masks, social distancing, air filters, vaccines, and increasing air flow, and you can really reduce the spread of COVID.
While some of these studies are still ongoing, the risk of all of them is essentially nil. And honestly, I will pay $20 and do a few small things to reduce the risk of covid. Most of these are genuinely easier than masking - which I will still be doing. Additionally, they'll reduce risk of colds and flu!
Please signal boost if you can and don't mind ♥ I know this is largely US based brands, but I know there are similar in other places. If you know them please add below!
If you're in Sweden: Here's a nasal spray with Iota-carrageenan and here is a mouthwash with cetylpyridinium chloride.
Make sure to get your updated booster, though.
