Support NeoGAF

[cryptoadam]

Israeli study points to nicotine as a potential therapeutic for COVID-19 | The Jerusalem Post

"The risk of infection by COVID-19 appears to be reduced by half among current smokers," researchers have found.

www.jpost.com

Smoking may offer some protection against the coronavirus, an Israeli study has found. The results support recent similar findings by researchers in France, China and Italy, although a British study has found the opposite.

Noting that conflicting reports exist regarding the impact of smoking on the likelihood of contracting the coronavirus, the Israeli team led by Dr. Ariel Israel undertook a population-based study pulling in data from over 3 million adult members of the Clalit Health Service, Israel's largest healthcare provider.

Their results, presented in a non-peer reviewed paper published in medRxiv on Friday, found that "the risk of infection by COVID-19 appears to be reduced by half among current smokers."

Of the more than 3 million adults included in the study, 114,545 had been tested for the virus, of which just 4% tested positive. The researchers matched those who tested positive to those testing negative at a ratio of 1:4, taking into account as closely as possible variables including age, sex, ethnicity. They found that among those who had tested positive, 9.8% were smokers against 19% of the overall population.

A previous smoking habit also appeared to confer some benefit, as 11.7% of those tested positive were former smokers against 13.9% in the general research population. Therefore, those who had previously smoked had a 19% lower risk of catching the virus, the results suggested.

These results appeared to hold even when previously existing conditions were taken into account, and of those who did test positive, there was no evidence that smoking worsened the symptoms of the disease.

"The magnitude of association observed for current smoking, with odds of infection reduced by about a half in smokers, suggests a genuine protective effect of smoking on the risk of COVID-19."

Oh ya. Suck it healthy lungs it was worth it to beat a virus that has a .05% chance of killing me.

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

I'd bet a million dollars that this study was funded by Tobacco companies.

What a load of horseshit.

 

[Plies]

 

[triplestation]

make cigarettes great again

 

[highrider]

Makes sense to me. Smoking kills stuff, viruses aren't immune. Hopefully weed has a similar effect.

 

[DESTROYA]

I'd bet a million dollars that this study was funded by Tobacco companies.

What a load of horseshit.

OK DR.MK!
I know you personally don't like drinking or smoking but there is some scientific evidence behind this.

 

[BadBurger]

Smoke em if ya gottem?

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

there is some scientific evidence behind this.

Where?

All i see is statistical correlation and nothing scientific was presented in terms of physiological explanations behind the results.

Plus, it was non-peer reviewed.

 

[-YFC-]

I smoke a pack and a half a day and I drink at least 2, 3 beers a day. So I'm good.

 

[jufonuk]

A virus that attacks your lungs is defeated by smoking and damaging your lungs ?

 

[killatopak]

A virus that attacks your lungs is defeated by smoking and damaging your lungs ?

How do you think vaccines and venom antidotes are made?

Fight fire with fire

 

[Jayjayhd34]

What about us vapers

 

[Clear]

Well it kinda makes sense given the research indicating that Covid is not strictly speaking a respiratory infection, its one of the epithelial cells meaning that although the lungs do contain many such cells, its not specifically attacking that organ.

 

[Alx]

A virus that attacks your lungs is defeated by smoking and damaging your lungs ?

It's a double edged sword. The hypothesis drawn from observations is that the nicotine blocks the virus from infecting the patient, so smokers are less likely to catch the disease, but those who do develop worse cases because of that lung damage.
In the end if nicotine ever proves effective, it should be used through patches or gum but not cigarettes (which are still harmful by themselves).

 

[xrnzaaas]

It's like a competition which one gets to destroy your lungs.

 

[jufonuk]

How do you think vaccines and venom antidotes are made?

Fight fire with fire

I get the rational with vaccines etc use a small amount/safe version/even a dead version etc to get the body used to it so you/the patient develop an antibody or antidote

this is strange by actively smoking to coat the lungs and screw them to fight a virus which can mess your lungs up. You are damaging your lungs either way.

it's like drinking a shit ton of vodka so you can swallow antifreeze.

 

[thief183]

Makes sense, still smoking is a bad habit... and I will still keep smocking...

 

[Frogman_676]

there is so much fucking tar in my lungs corona can't penetrate aye come at me bro, corona!

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Completely anecdotal:

I'm an ex-smoker and like most smokers I also knew other smokers among my cowokers and acquaintances. Among those of us who quit and those of us who tried, we all noticed we'd get a really bad cold about 1-2 weeks after quitting, just as things were finally getting cleared out of the lungs. Our apocryphal explanation was that the body got so used to fighting off the soot and tar that it steamrolled regular germs. Once the tar was gone we got sick

Not anecdotal:

Tobacco has medicinal uses, too, and it was once used therapeutically for any "wet" respiratory (hah!) issues.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

 

[MastAndo]

We did it, boys.

 

[DESTROYA]

Where?

All i see is statistical correlation and nothing scientific was presented in terms of physiological explanations behind the results.

Plus, it was non-peer reviewed.

This guy told me

 

[JimboJones]

What about us vapers

Vape some bleach and your good to go!

 

[TrainedRage]

Your welcome world!

 

[Clockwork5]

It's a double edged sword. The hypothesis drawn from observations is that the nicotine blocks the virus from infecting the patient, so smokers are less likely to catch the disease, but those who do develop worse cases because of that lung damage.
In the end if nicotine ever proves effective, it should be used through patches or gum but not cigarettes (which are still harmful by themselves).

Nicotine should never be prescribed for anything other than quitting smoking.