- Smoking 'may lower your risk of coronavirus', controversial study claims Archived Message
Posted by Ken Waldron
on April 23, 2020, 2:03 pm
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-Laugh or cry? Smoking 'may lower your risk of coronavirus', controversial study claims A controversial new study by researchers in Paris suggests that a substance in tobacco may stop smokers from catching COVID-19 Smoking ‘may lower your risk of coronavirus’, a controversial new study has claimed. The study, at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris, suggests that a substance in tobacco may stop smokers from catching COVID-19. In the study, the team surveyed 480 coronavirus patients, 350 of who were hospitalised, and 130 whose symptoms were mild enough for them to stay at home. The survey revealed that of those admitted to hospital, 4.4% were daily smokers, while of those sent home, the rate was 5.3%. However, in the French population, the daily smokers rate was 25.4%. The researchers explained : “The rate of current daily smokers was significantly lower in COVID-19 outpatients and inpatients as compared to that in the French general population “Our cross sectional study in both COVID-19 out- and inpatients strongly suggests that daily smokers have a very much lower probability of developing symptomatic or severe SARS-CoV-2 infection as compared to the general population.” While the reason for the findings remain unclear, French neurobiologist Jean-Pierre Changeux, who reviewed the study, suggests that nicotine may stop the virus from reaching cells in the body. The researchers insist that they’re not encouraging the public to take up smoking, and instead are planning to test nicotine patches on coronavirus patients and health workers. They added: “Nicotine administration, e.g. via a transcutaneous route may be tested as a therapy to recapitulate the protecting effect of smoking against SARS CoV2 infection.” This isn’t the first study to report a link between smoking a reduced risk or coronavirus. Last month, researchers in China found that only 12.6% of 1,000 coronavirus patients were smokers, compared to the public rates of around 28%. However, the findings go against previous advice, which warned that smoking could actually increase your risk of coronavirus. Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, said "if you are going to give up smoking, this is a very good moment to do it." The medical expert stressed people who smoke should not go into self-isolation or behave differently. But he said smokers face an "additional vulnerability" compared to other healthy people from respiratory illnesses. In general, he said, "they are more likely to get it and their immune system is less good." https://www.mirror.co.uk/science/smoking-may-lower-your-risk-21913607 |
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