Few days back research by Chinese doctors put forward a report that acute smokers are more at risk of dying from COVID-19 than elderly people. The report suggested smokers are 14 times more likely to contract coronavirus compared with those who do not.
Now, researchers in France have turned that conventional wisdom on its head. They have put forward a hypothesis that the presence of nicotine actually helps the body to fight COVID-19. And they are conducting trials to test the hypothesis.
As per reports, on the findings from the French study, which came from the Pitié Salpêtrière, a major hospital in Paris, “Nicotine may be suggested as a potential preventive agent against COVID-19 infection,” the study reads. “Both the epidemiological/clinical evidence and the in-silico findings may suggest that COVID-19 infection is a nAChR disease that could be prevented and may be controlled by nicotine.”
The study acknowledges that nicotine is a drug of abuse and could have severe pathological consequences. But it states that in controlled settings, nicotine could provide efficient treatment.
Previous Reports on Smoking and Coronavirus:
News published in various websites stated earlier that smokers are 14 times more likely to contract coronavirus compared with those who do not. Professor Mucahit Ozturk, president of anti-addiction group Turkish Green Crescent, urged those who smoke to quit to protect themselves from the contagion.
WHO Report on Tobacco and Coronavirus:
Tobacco use may increase the risk of suffering from serious symptoms due to COVID-19 illness. Early research indicates that, compared to non-smokers, having a history of smoking may substantially increase the chance of adverse health outcomes for COVID-19 patients, including being admitted to intensive care, requiring mechanical ventilation and suffering severe health consequences.
WHO also stated that there is an increased risk of more serious symptoms and death among COVID-19 patients who have underlying conditions, including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is from the same family as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, both of which have been associated with cardiovascular damage (either acute or chronic).
So, whom to believe? Until the hypothesis by French Researcher is not proved, follow WHO guidelines i.e. 'Smokers Are More Prone To Coronavirus'.