French researchers to test nicotine patches on coronavirus patients

[Baclava]

French researchers are planning to test nicotine patches on coronavirus patients and frontline health workers after a study suggested smokers may be much less at risk of contracting the virus.

The study at a major Paris hospital suggests a substance in tobacco – possibly nicotine – may be stopping patients who smoke from catching Covid-19. Clinical trials of nicotine patches are awaiting the approval of the country’s health authorities.

The renowned French neurobiologist Jean-Pierre Changeux, who reviewed the study, suggested the nicotine might stop the virus from reaching cells in the body preventing its spread. Nicotine may also lessen the overreaction of the body’s immune system that has been found in the most severe cases of Covid-19 infection.

“Our cross-sectional study strongly suggests that those who smoke every day are much less likely to develop a symptomatic or severe infection with Sars-CoV-2 compared with the general population,” the Pitié-Salpêtrière report authors wrote.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/22/french-study-suggests-smokers-at-lower-risk-of-getting-coronavirus?CMP=share_btn_fb

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Nicotine!

Who knew?

I vape, so, I'm saved!

[luvs2sing]

1. Wonder if the Nicorette gum would have the same effect. n/t

[Stallion]

11. Copenhagen for Everyone--Mortality is Low in Texas

just a pinch between your check and gums

[Midnightwalk]

18. Slow down there buddy

Can’t argue with your logic but consider the spitting.

We might have to do a peer reviewed study on how long SARS-CoV-2 can survive in a puddle of tobacco juice before making that recommendation.

[LastDemocratInSC]

33. No need to make a puddle that presents risk to others.

The pockets on men's shirts were created as a safe destination for one's spit. Just pull the pocket forward a bit and let it fly.

[WyattKansas]

38. It's called the Copenhagen Cure All.

I have used Copenhagen for decades... I'll get colds and allergies, but I never get the flu. I have always joked that it is the 'Copenhagen Cure All' that kills off any flu virus.*

* I am no doctor and do not even play a doctor on tv.

[poli-junkie]

2. What about smoking THC?

[Baclava]

5. Nicotine, not THC, nicotine is a poison, so it kills viruses? Woot, smokers will survive!

[lame54]

9. There goes Darwin's theory

[Hoyt]

3. Wouldn't that be odd. Smokers that kill themselves and us, might avoid CV19.

[abqtommy]

4. That's interesting but given the connection of vaping to "popcorn lung" I'm not sure that's the

thing to do. Pardon me while I put on my smug face since I gave up vaping and kept on smoking my 2 packs a day...

[Baclava]

6. But putting your fingers to your lips to smoke is bad, my stainless steel tip is 3" away

From dirty hands touching lips/face.

The article uses a Chinese study too, which says the same thing about smokers

[mr_lebowski]

10. Popcorn lung was related to a specific flavoring type that was ID'd, banned, and is never used

anymore by any remotely legit vendor. It's been years now since it was discovered and banned.

FYI.

[abqtommy]

21. Well then, by all means carry on...

[mr_lebowski]

24. Don't mind if I do ;) nt

[Baclava]

22. yeah, the anti-vaping push is from big tobacco lobbies spreading disinformation

[jayfish]

28. There Is No Connection Between Vaping And Popcorn Lung.

Good on you for quitting both though.

[marybourg]

7. My mother had an autoimmune disease called ITP for short.

She discovered by herself that smoking moved her blood marker of the disease to the “normal” range. When she stopped smoking her marker became “abnormal” again”.

[mr_lebowski]

8. WOOT! I knew there was solid health reason for this vaping thing ... (nt)

[Baclava]

12. Let vaping return to all bars/restaurants, make it a law!

[rzemanfl]

13. I thought China was full of men who smoked and more of them died than women.

Not so sure about this French study.

[Baclava]

16. Keep reading, from the same article ... smokers less affected

The results confirm a Chinese study published at the end of March in the New England Journal of Medicine that suggested only 12.6% of 1,000 people infected with the virus were smokers while the number of smokers in China is around 28%.

In France, figures from Paris hospitals showed that of 11,000 patients admitted to hospital with Covid-19, 8.5% were smokers. The total number of smokers in France is estimated at around 25.4%.

[rzemanfl]

19. Thank you. n/t

[Phoenix61]

17. I was thinking the same thing. I wonder if

it has more to do with avoiding a cytokine storm. Considering that nicotine leaves the body quickly, whatever effect it has would be gone after the first day in the hospital.

[CentralMass]

14. Interesting.

[Crunchy Frog]

15. I may have to get some nicotine patches.

It's probably safer than aquarium cleaner.

[mr_lebowski]

26. It's safer than 'Spring Surprise' in your box of chocolates, too! (nt)

[Crunchy Frog]

40. It's not my box of chocolates. It's Mr. Milton's of the Whizzo Chocolate Company.

I'm not responsible for the behavior of any of my fellow chocolates.

[Aristus]

20. I wonder if COVID-19 attacks ion-gated cells in the lungs through the nicotinic receptors.

If the ion-gated cells are saturated with nicotine, that might be a factor. But is there any evidence so far that isn't anecdotal?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

23. Smoking causes lung damage.

And all sorts of other things. I am finding myself highly skeptical of that report.

A lot of smokers (no statistics available here) try to pretend they don't smoke, or don't smoke that much, or that smoking ever causes problems. But things like high blood pressure and heart disease are strongly connected to smoking.

So yeah, I want to see a lot more research here.

[mr_lebowski]

25. I don't think anyone is suggesting taking up smoking itself, but if a low-grade nicotine patch

is proven to help you not die if you're infected, I'd think just about anyone ought to at least entertain that prospect

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

29. The article seems to imply that smokers

get sick less and died less than non smokers, which is directly the opposite of all the early reports coming out of China.

In this country, I haven't seen anyone noting if someone who died from Covid-19 had been a smoker, but the death notices I've seen here in New Mexico almost always note that there were underlying health issues without specifying what those were.

Although yes, if a nicotine patch were to prove helpful, then let's all go for it.

[Baclava]

30. I hope this dont drive up the price of vape juice, a 3 month supply costs me $25

My local chemist mixes me up fresh, pure, clean nicotine, puff puff pass, I can buy a new car from all the money I saved from quitting tobacco, lol

[mr_lebowski]

31. No doubt, man! The money I save by vaping instead of smoking is like 2/3 of my car payment

every month.

$25 for 3 months worth though, wow, that's killer.

I get 240ml bottle for $42, lasts about 6-7 weeks.

Then there's the coils ... about $10/month I'd say.

[Baclava]

32. Discount special on big bottles, 750ml for $25. OK sometimes I binge, who's counting, lol

My coils they sell for my tanks this shop gets from China, Box of 5 for $10, i bought everything they had last month, good for a year, I hope, they might never get them back

[Yavin4]

27. I need more details on this.

This may be the old chestnut, correlation does not imply causation.

[Baclava]

34. They have just started testing, you might have to wait

[totodeinhere]

35. Now that takes the cake. I had thought I was doing the right thing by not smoking.

And now this. If this turns out to be true look for a run on tobacco products.

[Xolodno]

36. *grabs a cigar* Well OK then....

Maybe the virus comes in, looks at the damage and says "yeah, there is nothing for me to do here".

Nicotine is a poison...but poisons have been used in low doses for treatments. Hell, LSD might be an effective treatment for Alcoholism, but due to the illegality of it, we won't get adequate testing.

[Steelrolled]

37. Smoke em if you got em

[Baclava]

41. Don't mind if I do, bring back smoking in hospital waiting areas, yeah, that's the ticket

[MoonlitKnight]

39. This may an offshoot from Sarcoidosis studies

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22878868

It has shown some benefits related to immune response in Sarcoidosis patients with pulmonary disease.