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In reply to the discussion: Nicotine being tested for Covid-19 treatment. More woo? [View all]Yonnie3
(17,434 posts)3. Nicotine patches being tested not smoking
Smokers are reported as having a higher risk of serious cases of CoViD-19, but I see this:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/22/french-study-suggests-smokers-at-lower-risk-of-getting-coronavirus
French researchers to test nicotine patches on coronavirus patients
Study which stresses serious health risks of smoking suggest substance in tobacco may lower risk of getting coronavirus
French researchers are planning to test nicotine patches on coronavirus patients and frontline health workers after a study suggested smokers may be much less at risk of contracting the virus.
The study at a major Paris hospital suggests a substance in tobacco possibly nicotine may be stopping patients who smoke from catching Covid-19. Clinical trials of nicotine patches are awaiting the approval of the countrys health authorities.
However, the researchers insisted they were not encouraging the population to take up smoking, which carries other potentially fatal health risks and kills 50% of those who take it up. While nicotine may protect those from the virus, smokers who have caught it often develop more serious symptoms because of the toxic effect of tobacco smoke on the lungs, they say.
The team at Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital questioned 480 patients who tested positive for the virus, 350 of whom were hospitalised while the rest with less serious symptoms were allowed home.
It found that of those admitted to hospital, whose median age was 65, only 4.4% were regular smokers. Among those released home, with a median age of 44, 5.3% smoked.
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This is not strictly true, but it is a common subject of wish fulfillment in nicotine addicts.
Aristus
Apr 2020
#17
If you wanna get technical, everything that exists is a chemical or combination of chemicals ...
mr_lebowski
Apr 2020
#8
Survival rate for seriously ill covid-19 patients is dependent on one thing more than others....
at140
Apr 2020
#5
I'm sorry, but smoking is a risk factor for all of those, and an exacerbating factor,
Aristus
Apr 2020
#24
My husband laughed as I told him we needed to start smoking again. I think it was because
Tech
Apr 2020
#13