Background: Common cold is caused by a variety of respiratory viruses. The prevalence in children is high, and it\r\npotentially contributes to significant morbidity. Iota-carragenan, a polymer derived from red seaweed, has reduced\r\nviral load in nasal secretions and alleviated symptoms in adults with common cold.\r\nMethods: We have assessed the antiviral and therapeutic activity of a nasal spray containing iota-carrageenan in\r\nchildren with acute symptoms of common cold. A cohort of 153 children between 1ââ?¬â??18 years (mean age 5 years),\r\ndisplaying acute symptoms of common cold were randomly assigned to treatment with a nasal spray containing\r\niota-carrageenan (0.12%) as verum or 0.9% sodium chloride solution as placebo for seven days. Symptoms of\r\ncommon cold were recorded and the viral load of respiratory viruses in nasal secretions was determined at two\r\nconsecutive visits.\r\nResults: The results of the present study showed no significant difference between the iota carrageenan and the\r\nplacebo group on the mean of TSS between study days 2ââ?¬â??7. Secondary endpoints, such as reduced time to\r\nclearance of disease (7.6 vs 9.4 days; p = 0.038), reduction of viral load (p = 0.026), and lower incidence of secondary\r\ninfections with other respiratory viruses (p = 0.046) indicated beneficial effects of iota-carrageenan in this population.\r\nThe treatment was safe and well tolerated, with less side effects observed in the verum group compared to\r\nplacebo.\r\nConclusion: In this study iota-carrageenan did not alleviate symptoms in children with acute symptoms of\r\ncommon cold, but significantly reduced viral load in nasal secretions that may have important implications for\r\nfuture studies.
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