Smokers underrepresented among those seriously ill with coronavirus
French researchers are to test nicotine as a preventive treatment for COVID-19, several media outlets report, after a study showed that smokers are underrepresented among people seriously affected by the coronavirus.
The French study was recently published in the online magazine Qeios and measures the prevalence of smokers among COVID-19 patients in France. The starting point was previous reports from China showing that smokers were clearly underrepresented among those infected with COVID-19. The analysis was already done in March by the Greek researcher Konstantinos Farsalinos. And even if smokers in the study were severely affected by COVID-19 they accounted for only 12% of the 1000 patients the researchers followed. Since the proportion of smokers is 27% in China, the researchers noticed an unexpected pattern. Smokers don't seem to develop complicated COVID-19 as often as they should, statistically speaking.
Fewer smokers in health care
The pattern is confirmed by the French study, which looked at 11 000 COVID patients. Only 8.5% of them were smokers, while the proportion in the population is around 27%. In the 44-53 age group, where the proportion of smokers is a staggering 40%, the study showed the same thing. Only 8% of patients who needed to seek hospital care were smokers.
Want to test nicotine on patients and staff
But what does this mean? Yes, scientists are wondering that too.
"Something about smoking seems to affect the risk of developing a more severe form of COVID-19. It is very clear" the researchers tell The Guardian.
To find out more, the researchers want to conduct a clinical study. Although the smoke from a cigarette contains thousands of substances, it is the nicotine that interests the researchers the most. They have now applied for permission to test whether the use of nicotine patches affects the development of COVID-19. The idea is that COVID patients and healthcare workers will use nicotine patches for a period.
Does not recommend smoking
However, the researchers clarify that smoking is not recommended. Cigarette smoking kills 50% of users and has a huge impact on health.
But for those who quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes or snus, the study will be interesting to follow. Niklas Linder is President of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Association. And according to him, the study could play a big role for vejpare.
"There have been a surprising number of headlines about both cigarettes and e-cigarettes in the context of COVID-19, drawing big conclusions without any real data. Nicotine users seem to be underrepresented among those who need to seek medical care for COVID-19. This is the opposite of what we previously assumed," says Niklas Linder
However, he says it is unnecessary to speculate on the outcome.
"It's too early to draw any conclusions - it's still speculation and hypothesis. If you smoke cigarettes, you should try to quit. And use alternative nicotine products if necessary" says Niklas Linder to Vejpkollen.
Update: According to Göteborgs Posten, the French researchers have now asked Karolinska Institute develop data on the impact of snus use on the incidence of COVID-19 in the population.
Sources for this article:
A nicotinic hypothesis for Covid-19 with preventive and therapeutic implications
COVID-19, a disease of the nicotinic cholinergic system? Nicotine may be protective
Smoking prevalence among hospitalized COVID-19 patients and its association with disease severity and mortality: an expanded re-analysis of a recent publication
Read also nicotine researcher Louise Adermark's analysis of nicotine and COVID-19:
"Could just as easily be a socio-economic factor"
Konstantinos Farsalinos et al had already published this hypothesis about month before Jean-Pierre Changeux
https://www.qeios.com/read/JFLAE3.2
Thanks for the comment! Yes, that is correct. Although the French researchers also relate to domestic data, Farsalinos was an early adopter of the hypothesis. Made it clear in the text now.