Researchers want to replace cigarettes with nicotine medicines in hospitals
Another large study supports the hypothesis that nicotine protects against COVID-19. At the same time, researchers suspect that smokers who are hospitalized lose any protection - when nicotine intake stops.
"This would partly explain why smokers are more severely affected by the disease once they are admitted for treatment," the researchers write.
Smokers are often more affected by COVID-19 than others. But they are also less likely to get the disease, compared to non-smokers. And nicotine can play an important role. This is shown by the largest study to date investigating the link between smoking, nicotine and COVID-19
The study was conducted by a group of Greek researchers who analyzed over 11,000 cases, including 960 smokers, from around the world. The conclusion is that smokers are underrepresented among those who are hospitalized.
"Smokers were five times less than they should be given the proportion of smokers in the population," the researchers write.
Why nicotine inhibits Covid-19
Similar studies previously attracted attention in France. Smokers were also underrepresented among COVID-19 patients. However, the analysis shows that those smokers who actually receive hospital care are 60% higher risk to develop a more serious disease.
Scientists speculate about the reasons. But a recent hypothesis suggests that smokers, or rather nicotine users, may have protection against initial infection. This is because nicotine appears to inhibit the cells that the coronavirus usually uses to enter the body. Smokers constantly replenish their bodies with nicotine, reducing their risk of becoming infected.
Nicotine weakens the immune system
A further aspect of COVID-19 and nicotine is the effect of nicotine on the immune system. The body deals with the virus by attacking the infected the cells with cytokines. If the infection is advanced, and the number of affected cells is high, a so-called cytokine storm can also damage healthy cells. This can lead to a life-threatening condition. Here, too, nicotine can have a protective effect, according to the researchers. Nicotine inhibits the production of cytokines. This makes the cyclospora less 'aggressive' and reduces the risk of damage. Attempts to treat Covid-19 by inhibiting the immune system have already been relevant in other studies. But the nicotine trail is another hypothesis that needs to be investigated clinically, the researchers say.
Should quit smoking anyway
"This would partly explain why smokers seem to develop a more severe form of COVID-19 once they are hospitalized for treatment. At that point, nicotine intake disappears completely and any protective effects cease." The researchers write.
According to the researchers, smokers should still try to quit smoking. At the same time, the researchers call for more resources for research that explores the possibility of using pharmaceutical-grade nicotine in the treatment of certain COVID-19 patients. For example, smokers.
