Health Professionals Petition WHO for Guidance: People Should Use Nasal Sprays to Combat COVID-19 Pandemic; Doctors Use in Treating Patients
25.1.2021 11:00:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Today, a consortium of health professionals petitioned the World Health Organization to issue Guidance calling on: all people to use nasal sprays to combat the COVID-19 pandemic; doctors to use them in treating COVID-19 patients; and, Member-States to implement public health policies promoting the use of nasal sprays to both prevent and treat COVID-19.
The petition asks the WHO to promulgate guidance that promotes the use of nasal sprays with data indicating that they are antiviral (blocks viral adhesion), virucidal (kills or deactivates the virus), anti-bacterial (block bacteria, in particular pneumonia bacteria) and bactericidal (kills bacteria, in particular pneumonia bacteria).
“We have data showing that certain nasal sprays don’t just wash away the virus. Certain sprays actually block, deactivate and/or kill the virus,” said Dr. Gustavo Ferrer, a respiratory illness expert who has conducted research on the use of nasal sprays to combat COVID-19, and is among the petitioners.
As a result, the petition calls specifically for WHO Guidance to focus on the use of nasal sprays that contain Xylitol and grapefruit seed extract. Recent studies have found that these natural components used together are antiviral (they block SARS-CoV-2 adhesion to the nasal membrane) and virucidal (they kill or deactivate the virus). One such spray, Xlear, is currently widely available in the US. Xlear has been used by millions of people worldwide, over twenty-plus years, without any adverse effects reported.
Additionally, a new, small clinical study found Xlear lessens the severity and shortens the duration of COVID-19 illnesses, and reduces the risk of further transmission, which is why the petition calls for guidance to doctors to use it as an adjunct to current treatments.
“Nasal sprays are proven safe, inexpensive, non-invasive, easy to use and you can get them off-the-shelf at your local store around the world. There is a growing body of data that sprays, in particular Xlear, can help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s pure commonsense,” Nathan Jones, CEO of Xlear said.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210125005242/en/
Contact information
Jeff Gulko
617.304.7339
jeff@thegulkogroup.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
IQM Quantum Computer Goes Live at Supercomputing Center CINECA in Italy, Boosting National Compute Infrastructure and Research11.6.2026 15:50:00 EEST | Press release
The Italian Research Centre on High Performance Computing, Big Data, and Quantum Computing (ICSC) today inaugurated the IQM Radiance 54 quantum computer at CINECA, one of Europe's leading supercomputing centers, enabling advanced applications in optimization, simulation, and machine learning. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260611898215/en/ The moment Italy's second IQM quantum computer went live at CINECA in Bologna. IQM has previously announced its ongoing business combination with Real Asset Acquisition Corp (Nasdaq: RAAQ), which will result in IQM becoming a public company in mid-2026. The installation, located at the CINECA headquarters in the DAMA Tecnopolo in Bologna, represents not just technological progress but a strategic Italian asset providing concrete tools for the scientific community and businesses to foster innovation, accelerate research, and transform knowledge into high-impact applications.
Wyss Geneva Steps Into Its Next Chapter11.6.2026 14:33:00 EEST | Press release
The Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Geneva is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Tracy Laabs as Director, effective July 1st 2026. Dr. Laabs succeeds Prof. Dr. Erwin Böttinger, who leaves behind a fundamentally transformed organization: one that no longer just pursues breakthrough science but systematically turns it into ventures that reach patients. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260611328520/en/ Dr. Tracy Laabs, incoming Director, Wyss Center Geneva Since joining the Wyss Center as Director in April 2023, Prof. Böttinger brought a bold vision: to evolve the Center from a portfolio of promising projects into a disciplined engine for venture creation. Under his leadership, the Center spun off six companies in two years (including ABILITY Neurotech SA and Clee Medical SA in 2025) while simultaneously building a robust pipeline of next-generation programs in AI-guided neuromodulation and min
BeOne Showcases Landmark Phase 3 Data in CLL Patients Aged 80+ at EHA 2026, Reinforcing BRUKINSA Benefit11.6.2026 14:24:00 EEST | Press release
BeOne Medicines Ltd. (Nasdaq: ONC; HKEX: 06160; SSE: 688235), a global oncology company, today announced the presentation of a large Phase 3 dataset in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) aged 80 and older, showing sustained benefit with BRUKINSA after nearly 6.5 years of follow-up, reinforcing its role as the foundational BTK inhibitor. BRUKINSA is the only BTK inhibitor to demonstrate superior efficacy vs. ibrutinib in a Phase 3 trial.1 These data, one of the largest datasets of older patients with treatment-naive CLL, will be presented at the 2026 European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress in Stockholm, Sweden. Amit Agarwal, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, Hematology, BeOne Medicines, said: "While the median age of diagnosis for CLL is 70 and the average age of treatment initiation is 75, many pivotal trials still underrepresent the patients that physicians most often see in practice. These data show that the durable benefit of
Clearlake Expands Liquid Credit Platform With Acquisition of LCM Asset Management’s CLO Contracts11.6.2026 14:00:00 EEST | Press release
Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (“Clearlake” or the “Firm”), a global investment firm managing integrated platforms spanning private equity, liquid and private credit, and other related strategies, today announced that its credit platform, Clearlake Credit, will assume management of CLOs managed by LCM Asset Management, LLC. The transaction adds 31 CLOs representing more than $5 billion of assets under management and increases assets managed by Clearlake Credit to approximately $39 billion across liquid credit, private credit, and other customized credit solutions. The acquisition further broadens the Firm’s capabilities, deepens its relationships with institutional investors, and reinforces its client-centric approach and commitment to seeking attractive risk-adjusted returns across market cycles. Milbank LLP and Dechert LLP represented Clearlake Credit in the transaction. GreensLedge Capital Markets advised the seller. About Clearlake Clearlake Capital is a leading global alternative a
Takeda’s Zasocitinib Significantly Outperforms Deucravacitinib in Head-to-Head Phase 3 Psoriasis Study, Promising to Redefine Oral Treatment Expectations11.6.2026 14:00:00 EEST | Press release
Takeda (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) announced positive topline results for the Phase 3, randomized, multicenter, double-blind study comparing zasocitinib (TAK-279), an investigational, next-generation, highly selective and potent oral tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, to deucravacitinib in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (PsO). In the LATITUDE Atlas (TAK-279-PsO-3004) head-to-head study, zasocitinib demonstrated statistical superiority over deucravacitinib for the primary endpoint, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 100 response rate at week 16. The study also demonstrated statistical superiority over deucravacitinib for all key secondary endpoints, including PASI 90 response and Static Physician's Global Assessment (sPGA) 0 at week 16. Zasocitinib was generally well tolerated with a consistent safety and tolerability profile and no new safety signals identified. Perspectives on head-to-head zasocitinib study “In this head-to-head study, zasocitinib clearly demonstrated
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom