DEAR DR. ROACH: A doctor friend suggested I purchase a nitric oxide nasal spray from Israel. She suggested using it when eating out or hanging out with friends maskless. Do you have an opinion about its efficacy? I got the most recent booster and a flu shot. The reason I’m concerned is that I see an uptick in people around me getting COVID for either the first or second time. And I spend a lot of time with my grandchildren. — P.L.
ANSWER: There are some reasons to be optimistic about this treatment. Two studies have shown improvement in people with COVID-19 using the nasal spray, but there are no published data I can find to show that the spray prevents infection in the first place. I did find an ongoing study in people with asymptomatic COVID-19, but the results are not yet available. Unfortunately, the kind of study needed to show effectiveness at preventing the disease is extremely large and expensive. Getting your booster, choosing wisely whether to go maskless, and avoiding large crowds remains the best way of not getting sick.
DEAR DR. ROACH: Am I taking too many vitamins, and are there benefits in taking all these vitamins? I started taking fish oil for my heart; 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 was suggested by my gastroenterologist; a multi-vitamin because my mom has macular degeneration; and I started taking zinc and vitamin C because I heard it will help with COVID symptoms. — K.P.A.
