Unlike vaccines, nasal sprays can't prevent COVID-19 and are not meant to cure the disease, regulators and experts said, debunking popular claims.
Nasal spray products as medical devices are for short-term use and serve as protective barrier in the mucus against pathogens and contaminants, not as deterrent against COVID-19, the Food and Drug Administration said. The Philippine Society of Otolaryngology reiterated the FDA's reminder in a separate statement.
"The products do not have active pharmaceutical ingredients that directly treat, eliminate, or prevent diseases. They should not be used as substitutes to medicines and vaccines to prevent or treat SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19," the agency's Director General Eric Domingo said in a statement.
The public is urged to be vigilant in using products that claim against prevention or treatment of COVID-19. The agency also said that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective to control the pandemic.
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