Analysis shows less severe COVID-19 gradients in smokers
A French research team investigates the hypothesis of whether nicotine may have a protective effect against the new Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Already in March of this year, a study based on Chinese data first came to the conclusion that, obviously, less smoke, and smokers find the COVID-19-people suffering from the disease.
Smoking is detrimental to a high degree the health
Smoking harms the ultra-fine particles in the lung in a sustainable and weakens in particular the immune system. Smokers are therefore considered to be a risk group for severe illness from Covid-19. Also first studies have already found on the cellular level of possible explanations for why smokers are more prone to COVID-19.
First statistical evaluations have now, but in a different direction. Thus, the current study by the French research teams from the Hôpitaux de Paris and Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), in the possible relationships between the consumption of tobacco and COVID-19 were investigated. The researchers suggest that nicotine could slow the multiplication of the virus cells.
Statistical evaluation of the patients
“We have the Rate of daily smokers in COVID-19-infected patients in a large French University hospital between the 28. February 2020 and 30. March 2020 for outpatients and from 23. March to 9. April 2020 for stationary patients,” reports investigated by the researchers on the science platform “Queios”. This showed that only 5.3 percent of the Patients smoked. The percentage of Smoking people in the population in France was around 25.4 percent.
“Our cross-sectional study, both in the outpatient as well as inpatient COVID-19-patients suggests that daily smokers compared to the General population, a much lower probability of developing symptomatic or severe SARS-CoV-2 infection”, write the researchers in their Abstract of the study.
Other studies came to similar results
In March 2020, a study showed that in a number of studies in China is significantly less smoke, were smokers under the heavy COVID-19 cases. Also in a study in New York with around 4000 COVID-19-cases, which showed that, as measured by the overall average, fewer smokers, and Smoking were among the hospitalized patients.
Substances in tobacco may hamper Coronviren
The French Researchers hypothesized that certain substances, contained in tobacco, SARS-CoV-prevent 2 viruses in the cells to dock. In particular, in tobacco plants contained the nerve is nicotine a poison is suspected to exert such a protective effect.
“The hypothesis is that nicotine attached to cell receptors, which are used by the Coronavirus, and thus the attachment of the Virus,” says Professor Jean-Pierre Changeux from the Pasteur Institute and the Collège de France. For this reason, should be promptly in the Parisian hospital “La Pitié-Salpêtrière” studies with nicotine patches performed. For this purpose, however, must give the French health authority for a permit.
Study with nicotine patch planned
To the course of the planned study Amoura said that the subjects should not start with the Smoking. Rather, they wanted to investigate with different doses of nicotine patches, which are actually used for Smoking cessation. Sense of the investigation was the answer to the question of whether care workers pave a preventive with Nicotine protection against the disease Covid-19 could do. Also, you would investigate the question of whether Sufferers could be treated with nicotine-containing Patches.
The researchers assume that SARS-CoV-2 can change the control of the nicotinic receptor by acetylcholine. This could also explain why previous studies “have found a connection between Smoking and the severity of Covid-19”. Because, in General, to hear stay on Diseased during hospital Smoking. The tobacco cessation lead to the release of nicotine receptors, which are increased in smokers. This will lead in turn to a “Rebound effect”, which is a deterioration of the health status of the smokers in the hospital responsible. The virus could then attack the faster the cells, so the presumption.
Don’t prompt Smoking
The researchers stress that their hypothesis and also the subsequent study should not be used for the invitation to smoke understood. “Our results should be interpreted with caution,” they write. For example, the study was carried out in the year 2020, and the results were compared with data from the Smoking rate in the French General population in the year 2018.
“However, it is very unlikely that the tobacco consumption has decreased in France since the mid 2018 will be dramatic,” emphasise the researchers. Also it is wool, the subjects only under controlled conditions nicotine patches to be administered. In addition, the study so far, only a comparison of statistics. Only clinical studies can give certainty. (sb)