Respiratory virus season is upon us. Azelastine is a commonly used antihistamine nasal spray with a low side-effect profile. Could it be repurposed to help fight COVID? What about Influenza and RSV?
This is a really helpful post, and I love your writing style/voice mixed in with the science :)
Particularly: "Paxlovid, while useful, also tastes like pennies, soap and sadness, and comes with a 20.8% rebound rate." SO true. Although the rebound rate is not consistently seen across all studies, and as you know the CDC consensus is that Paxlovid rebound is overall not really a thing more than the two phases we've seen since the beginning (acute viral, then inflammatory stages):
Yet I do think it is kind of a thing from experience in primary care...
The azelastine option is tempting, and I admit I have bottle to use maybe. I think the viral load reduction is just measured in the nose, so who knows how significant that is in terms of the whole body viral load... yet the nose is a factory cranking out viruses, so the less the better I agree.
Here is a deep dive I wrote a while back about nasal sprays for Covid in general... it's paywalled so I'm going to comp you!
Well done, Bess, a superb presentation of clinically useful information bathed in a sea of Jägermeister bottles on a frat bathroom floor... I so love the punchy delightfulness of your writing!
This is a really helpful post, and I love your writing style/voice mixed in with the science :)
Particularly: "Paxlovid, while useful, also tastes like pennies, soap and sadness, and comes with a 20.8% rebound rate." SO true. Although the rebound rate is not consistently seen across all studies, and as you know the CDC consensus is that Paxlovid rebound is overall not really a thing more than the two phases we've seen since the beginning (acute viral, then inflammatory stages):
https://www.jwatch.org/na56967/2024/01/03/covid-19-rebound-related-covid-19-therapy
Yet I do think it is kind of a thing from experience in primary care...
The azelastine option is tempting, and I admit I have bottle to use maybe. I think the viral load reduction is just measured in the nose, so who knows how significant that is in terms of the whole body viral load... yet the nose is a factory cranking out viruses, so the less the better I agree.
Here is a deep dive I wrote a while back about nasal sprays for Covid in general... it's paywalled so I'm going to comp you!
https://mccormickmd.substack.com/p/nasal-sprays-for-covid-prevention
This is remarkably good science writing. Engaging, funny, easygoing, sharp. Wow.
Thanks, Owen!
Well done, Bess, a superb presentation of clinically useful information bathed in a sea of Jägermeister bottles on a frat bathroom floor... I so love the punchy delightfulness of your writing!
Solidarity.