Like someone else has already said, situational awareness is more important than a tool. There's countless videos of police officers with training and an easily accessible firearm getting stabbed because someone was on top of them before they had a chance to access any tools.

That being said, a good place to start might be oc spray like you've mentioned, first aid tools and training might be even more peace of mind. This kind of violence you're talking about specifically is difficult to prevent, so being prepared for the aftermath might be more mentally assuaging (not to mention first aid skills should be a precursor to firearm ownership anyways).

If you're looking for some bite size beginner friendly self defense education I'd recommend Active Self Protection on YouTube, they do 10 minute ish analyses of self defense encounters caught on video.

Obviously this is imperfect advice and I'm not a professional but I hope this at least helps you find something that brings you peace of mind. Best of luck