Coronavirus: Nicotine patches to be tested on patients after study suggests smokers less likely to catch COVID-19

Researchers stress people should not start smoking, pointing out it kills half of those who start.

Nicotine patches are to be tested on coronavirus patients and healthcare workers treating infected people after initial studies suggested smokers were less likely to catch the disease.

Researchers in France say early data indicates those who smoke make up a disproportionately small number of people in hospital with COVID-19.

A study at Paris's Pitie-Salpetriere hospital suggests a substance in tobacco, thought to be nicotine, was preventing smokers contracting coronavirus.

Those leading the study stressed they did not advise people to start smoking, with scientists pointing out it kills half of those who do so regularly - claiming around 75,000 deaths each year in France.


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But they say they want to learn more after questioning 480 patients who tested positive for the virus. A total of 350 had to be treated in hospital while the rest with less serious symptoms were sent home.


Of those needing hospital treatment, whose median age was 65, just 4.4% were regular smokers. Only 5.3% of those allowed home - who had a median age of 44 - 5.3% reported they smoked.

The researchers said that according to the latest official statistics in France, smokers make up 30% of those aged 45-54, and 8.8% of women and 11.3% of men aged 65-75.

The authors write: "Our cross-sectional study strongly suggests that daily smokers have a much lower probability of developing symptomatic or severe SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population.

"The effect is significant, it divides the risk by five for ambulatory patients and by four for hospitalised patients. You rarely see that in medicine."

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-nicotine-patches-to-be-tested-on-patients-after-study-suggests-smokers-less-likely-to-catch-covid-19-11977460


If this turns out to be true. How ironic, that one thing that kills countless people each year. Could be the on thing protecting people from this virus

be the first time one of my bad habits has proven to be beneficial.....

Victorismyhero wrote:be the first time one of my bad habits has proven to be beneficial.....

More research needs to be done, but is very interesting

Yep, something to do with the ace2 bonding site I believe.
though I'd advise vaping rather than smoking or even better patches or gum.....

Victorismyhero wrote:be the first time one of my bad habits has proven to be beneficial.....

Ditto. Who woulda thunk it.

Woah. I’d have thought the opposite!

Victorismyhero wrote:Yep, something to do with the ace2 bonding site I believe.
though I'd advise vaping rather than smoking or even better patches or gum.....

Absolutely, though if this around nicotine, then patches could do just as well I guess

eddie wrote:Woah. I’d have thought the opposite!

It sounds like it more than cancels out the damage one does to one's lungs by smoking, which is really surprising.