Jennifer Moore π·Interesting! though sounds like this hasn't been tested in actual people yet.
In future, these nanoparticles could for example be an ingredient in a nasal spray.
"The glycosystem is a specially designed particle that mimics natural sugars found on human cells. These sugars, known as polysialosides, are made of repeating units of sialic acid - structures that viruses often target to begin infection. By copying this structure, the synthetic molecule acts as a decoy, binding to the virus's spike protein and preventing it from attaching to real cells. ...
"Tests on human lung cells showed a 98.6% reduction in infection when the molecule was present. ...
"This breakthrough could pave the way for antiviral nasal sprays, surface disinfectants, and treatments to protect vulnerable groups, offering a new line of defense against Covid-19 and future pandemics."
Dr Sumati Bhatia of Swansea University is "main corresponding author and research supervisor". Looked her up and she's been working on using "glycomaterials" to lock onto other pathogens too, like flu, herpes and pseudomonas.
Synthetic sugar-coated nanoparticle blocks Covid-19 from infecting human cells
Groundbreaking research led by a Swansea University academic has revealed a synthetic glycosystem - a sugar-coated polymer nanoparticle - that can block Covid-19 from infecting human cells, reducing infection rates by nearly 99%.
GlyGen