The Sugar That Blocks COVID

Vaccines are considered the “gold standard” against COVID and similar pathogens, for their very high rate of efficacy, clear science, and at least moderately lasting effects (i.e., it’s not something like handwashing*, which must be redone very frequently). Since vaccines are not without their popular misunderstanders, we have written a little about that, here: Vaccine Mythbusting

*See also: The Truth About Handwashing ← for another mythbusting edition, covering what actually works against what, and what doesn’t—as well as the disparity between people’s self-reports of handwashing, and how often/well they actually wash their hands!

These are not the only things we can do; consider for example: Beyond Supplements: The Real Immune-Boosters! ← most people don’t know these things and the huge difference they make

And for that matter: Why Some People Get Sick More (And How To Not Be One Of Them) ← for a very prophylactic approach

So… What’s this about a sugar that blocks COVID?

A sweet distraction

What if, rather than triggering immune responses as vaccines do, we could provide a physical shield?

Of course, masks do that, but are more important on an epidemiological level than personal (i.e. they protect society more than they protect the wearer), and they are impractical in many circumstances, and use of them is very low in most countries. So in other words: they’re good! But may be a lost cause at least for the time being.

See also: Mythbusting The Mask Debate

And, for that matter: Do We Simply Not Care About Old People?

So… How about a nanotech version, that you can squirt up your nose and then it’s done, you’re protected?

Researchers (Dr. Daniela Niemeyer et al.) have developed a synthetic sugar-coated polymer nanoparticle that blocks Covid-19 from infecting human cells!

How it works: it’s two things in one:

1. a decoy
2. a trap

The particle mimics the virus’s natural target (sialic acid chains) acting as a decoy. It then binds to the virus’s spike protein 500 times more strongly, preventing it from binding with cells (something the virus needs to do in order to replicate itself).

How well it works: at low doses, reduced infection in human lung cells by 98.6%, working against both the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and the D614G variant.

Now, there are two things to bear in mind here.

Firstly, you may be wondering: what about the other 1.4%? And well, nothing is perfect, but 98.6% is good, and assuming you do have a functioning immune system, your immune system will be much more likely to throw off a pathogen that is able to affect only a few cells at a time, than one that is infecting almost every cell it touches, and multiplying exponentially as it does so.

Secondly, about those human lung cells: they were in a petri dish, so we can’t say for sure yet that this will be safe and effective in vivo (i.e. in actual humans). However, the researchers are cautiously optimistic and are looking forward to the next testing stage.

You can read the paper itself, here: Polysialosides Outperform Sulfated Analogs for Binding with SARS-CoV-2 ← not the most exciting title

Lastly, you may be wondering: doesn’t this mean I will be left with live COVID viruses in my respiratory tract, stuck in these molecular traps? And the answer is: sort of, at least for a while. The virus will still be theoretically active insofar as it remains viable, not destroyed, but as it’s already bound to something it can’t infect, it can’t do any harm. Further, a virus that has been trapped in this fashion is much easier for our own immune system to locate and destroy, or even just locate and remove. Think of it like a fly trapped on a flypaper. It’s technically still viable, but it’s not going anywhere, and is easy to get rid of.

On the flipside, that does raise an extra question of how long the protection will last—it’s currently being posited as a medium-term solution, but the timescales have not yet been worked out, as that’ll need to be studied in vivo.

Want to learn more?

Check out:

The Minerals That Neutralize Viruses (While Being Harmless To Humans) ← for a similar approach with a very common food additive

Take care!