Smoking And Coronavirus: Nicotine May Have Protective Effect Against COVID-19, Research Underway

A team of French researchers has claimed that nicotine may offer some protective effects against COVID-19, as suggested by the low number of coronavirus infections reported among smokers.

Smokers are believed to be at a greater risk of coronavirus infection because of reduced lung capacity and other physiological changes in the respiratory organs. However, smokers seem to be more protected against coronavirus ad compared to non-smokers.

The data startled the French researchers, which made them look whether nicotine contained in cigarettes may be playing a protective role. The study, conducted by a team of French researchers, suggests that nicotine could potentially be suggested as a preventive agent against COVID-19 infection.

The study establishes COVID-19 as a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) disease, which can be controlled or prevented by nicotine. It can help compete SARS-CoV-2 in binding to the nAChR. Nicotine, therefore, does not attack SARS-CoV-2 directly, but may indirectly affect the cell-membrane protein called ACE2, to which coronavirus attached itself to enter the human host.

Thus, nicotine can prevent the binding of the coronavirus to the receptor and also prevent the infection and subsequent propagation and manifestation of the virus through the central nervous system. Therefore, the researchers plan a therapeutic assay against COVID-19 with nicotine patches and other nicotine-containing agents in the general population as well as patients hospitalized with coronavirus infection.

Even though nicotine may have some protective effects, it does not mean that smokers are completely immune to contracting coronavirus infection. Currently, the institutes behind the study are working with the health ministry in France to prepare trials to study the effects of nicotine in coronavirus prevention.

The trial will involve giving nicotine patches to healthcare workers, the general population as well as people with COVID-19. The data will be compared to control groups who are given a placebo.

While the study is underway, people should not consume or smoke nicotine as a cure to coronavirus. People who smoke, inhale secondhand smoke, use a vaper or use marijuana are all as likely to get COVID-19 and suffer from the adverse effects due to poor lung health.