A novel antiviral formulation inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection of human bronchial epithelium

Abstract

A novel proprietary formulation, ViruSAL, has previously been demonstrated to inhibit diverse enveloped viral infections in vitro and in vivo. We evaluated the ability of ViruSAL to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, using physiologically relevant models of the human bronchial epithelium, to model early infection of the upper respiratory tract. ViruSAL potently inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection of human bronchial epithelial cells cultured as an air-liquid interface (ALI) model, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Viral infection was completely inhibited when ViruSAL was added to bronchial airway models prior to infection. Importantly, ViruSAL also inhibited viral infection when added to ALI models post-infection. No evidence of in vitro cellular toxicity was detected in ViruSAL treated cells at concentrations that completely abrogated viral infectivity. Moreover, intranasal instillation of ViruSAL to a rat model did not result in any toxicity or pathological changes. Together these findings highlight the potential for ViruSAL as a novel and potent antiviral for use within clinical and prophylactic settings.

Lack of detection of SARS-CoV-2 in British wildlife 2020–21 and first description of a stoat (Mustela erminea) Minacovirus

“…Commercial pan-species serology tests for SARS-CoV-2 are available and have been used in other studies of wildlife exposure to SARS-CoV-2 [31,33,34,68] . However, these kits are not validated for all species and we do not know what the cross-reactivity is with some of the more divergent coronaviruses detected recently in European wildlife [42].…”

“…in Britain or mainland Europe [28][29][30] although other related coronaviruses have been detected in these species. Reports in European deer prior to 2022 all failed to detect any exposure [31][32][33], but 57 % of fallow deer in Dublin, Ireland, seroconverted in early 2022 [34] and sporadic seropositivity in fallow and red deer in Spain in 2021-22 has also been reported [35]. Wild animal surveillance studies in mainland Europe have indicated sporadic detection in wild mustelids, including by quantitative (q)PCR in wild American mink (N. vison), particularly near farmed mink outbreaks, and one otter (L. lutra) [36][37][38].…”