Following some research concluding that smokers had a lower risk of contracting the coronavirus, France began to focus on nicotine treatment against Covid-19.
A study conducted on 350 people who tested positive for Covid-19 and were hospitalized, and 130 cases whose treatment continued outside the hospital, showed that only 5% of these individuals smoked. Professor Zahir Amoura, one of the researchers, reiterated that the rate of smokers among patients was 5%.
Given that approximately 35% of the population in France smokes, the low percentage of smokers among Covid-19 patients in the studies drew attention to nicotine.
A similar study was conducted in China. A study of a thousand patients in China, where the coronavirus first emerged, revealed that only 12.6% of the patients were smokers. According to the World Health Organization, the smoking rate in China is 26%.
Compared to the general smoking percentage, the rate of Covid patients who smoke is also low in this study. The research results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine journal.
Does nicotine block viruses?
According to the theory of French neurobiologist Jean-Pierre Changeux, nicotine prevents the virus from accessing cells and spreading in the body because it adheres to cell receptors.
According to AFP, researchers in France are awaiting permission from the Ministry of Health to conduct larger-scale clinical trials on this matter.
On the other hand, at Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris, where the initial research was conducted, a further step will be taken: nicotine patches will be tested on healthcare workers as part of a new study to determine if they provide protection against the virus. At the same hospital, Covid-19 patients will also be given nicotine to examine whether it reduces symptoms.
Meanwhile, Jerome Salomon, Director of the French National Health Agency, warned the public about tobacco use, stating, "We must not forget the harmful effects of nicotine."
According to official data in France, 75,000 people die from smoking each year.
Source: https://tr.euronews.com/2020/04/24/fransa-koronaviruse-kars-nikotin-tedavisini-test-ediyor
