A spray like this is still some ways from reaching the public. There would need to be human clinical trials, not to mention large-scale production to provide enough access. Scientists are planning to “rapidly advance” to further testing, Columbia said.
The move could bring protection to many parts of the world where mass COVID-19 vaccinations would be difficult. It might also serve as a “complement” even in places where vaccines are readily available, key researchers Anne Moscona and Matteo Porotto said. People who can’t take vaccines, or those for whom vaccinations don’t work, could spray themselves daily knowing they’d be safe. That, in turn, could further limit the spread of the virus and hasten the end to the pandemic.