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Smokers less likely to catch COVID-19?

77 replies

WorraLiberty · 23/04/2020 13:14

Interesting link here from Sky News.

France are going to test nicotine patches on coronavirus patients and healthcare workers treating infected people, after initial studies suggested smokers were less likely to catch the disease.

I wonder if they turn out to be right?

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WorraLiberty · 23/04/2020 16:19

Ahh yes of course. I'm getting smoking mixed up with nicotine intake without the smoke.

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Cornettoninja · 23/04/2020 16:56

It’s an interesting observation. It’d be a hard sell considering how much nicotine had been demonised but that shouldn’t be a reason not to look into it.

Carrotcakeforbreakfast · 23/04/2020 17:08

Research aside I just wanted to add that the middle classes I know are also the biggest pissheads and smokers too. Smile

WorraLiberty · 23/04/2020 17:12

In my experience, they're not the biggest smokers.

I live in a very deprived working class area and have worked with middle class people for the last 20 years. I can't think of a single one of them who still smokes but I know loads of working class who still do.

You're right about pissheads though Grin

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GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 23/04/2020 17:26

Maybe it’s because people don’t get as close to them because of the smoke.

LangClegsInSpace · 23/04/2020 17:57

Interesting article about the therapeutic uses of nicotine:

www.discovermagazine.com/health/nicotine-the-wonder-drug

PicsInRed · 23/04/2020 18:08

I live in a very deprived working class area and have worked with middle class people for the last 20 years. I can't think of a single one of them who still smokes but I know loads of working class who still do.

That was the point - working classes are most likely to smoke. The working classes would also be less likely to acquire covid initially due to not mixing predominantly in the middle class circles through which covid originally entered the UK en masse. Therefore, the correlation seen is probably more to do with the stratification of British society than due to any protective value of smoking.

SmileyClare · 23/04/2020 18:09

Yes perhaps people have always been giving smokers a wide berth even before lockdown because they smell a bit faggy Grin that lowers the risk of infection.
However, they are at slightly higher risk because they've going into shops more often to buy the cigarettes.Confused

Interesting article anyway. As a smoker I'm well aware of the terrible health risks with or without the cv risk. Unfortunately I think I'm smoking more with the stress of the situation.

WorraLiberty · 23/04/2020 18:14

I suppose smokers would also be touching their mouths more.

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LastTrainEast · 23/04/2020 18:28

AmelieTaylor I think you are spot on with your point that "any reduction in the chance of catching it, has to be far outweighed by the lower chance of recovering from it." There's no doubt at all that it reduces lung capacity.

Still can I just enjoy for the moment the thought of the conversations I could have if it worked :) I've not smoked for decades now, but I'd be happy to start again.

ElephantsAlltheWayDown · 23/04/2020 18:30

PicsInRed The study is from France, but the same effect has been seen in countries across the world, from China (30% are smokers, but only 6.5% of hospitalizations for Covid were smokers) to the US (14% are smokers, but only 1.3% of hospitalizations for Covid were smokers). It has nothing to do with British class stratification.

LangClegsInSpace · 23/04/2020 18:48

That was the point - working classes are most likely to smoke. The working classes would also be less likely to acquire covid initially due to not mixing predominantly in the middle class circles through which covid originally entered the UK en masse. Therefore, the correlation seen is probably more to do with the stratification of British society than due to any protective value of smoking.

Oh what bobbins!

Who do you think serves the middle classes their drinks and meals in the hotels and bars? Who collects their used glasses and plates? Who makes their beds and cleans their toilets in the hotel? Who pats them down at airport security? Who handles their baggage?

And the skiers returned to London and got on the same public transport system as every other fucker regardless of class and then proceeded to spread the virus all around the country, very likely infecting working class people with low paid service shitjobs all along the route.

Then they get home. Who cleans their house? Who threads their eyebrows? Who cuts their hair? Who waxes their fannies?

Has it passed you by how many bus drivers have died? How many care workers?

Working class people really are invisible to some, aren't they?

I'd be very interested in seeing a socioeconomic breakdown of covid cases and deaths. I bet you half a bogroll the numbers are much higher among poor people in overcrowded housing, doing low waged, low security work with no option of WFH or furlough, than among those who fucked off out of London to their second homes at the first sniff of trouble.

LangClegsInSpace · 23/04/2020 18:54

I suppose smokers would also be touching their mouths more.

Yes, if I'm going out I don't take my vape any more because of this.

Comenext · 23/04/2020 18:56

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat
Exactly what I was thinking!

ItsAllForYou · 23/04/2020 18:58

Ohh I might start smoking Hmm

kingis · 23/04/2020 19:08

I wonder how vaping scores in this. You get the nicotine without the rest of the stuff.

WorraLiberty · 23/04/2020 20:21

Who waxes their fannies?

That made me laugh more than it should have Grin Grin

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LangClegsInSpace · 23/04/2020 21:01

You have to grab your laughs where you can these days Worra Grin

I'm still giggling at the idea that smokers are massively underrepresented in hospitalised covid cases because this is a middle class virus!

Branleuse · 23/04/2020 21:14

They said the same about bubonic plague

OhMargo · 23/04/2020 21:21

Class again, UK is obsessed with the divide.

Flywheel · 23/04/2020 21:45

I gave up smoking years ago but swapped the habit for nicotine lozenges. I've found it very hard to cut them out, but thinking now I might hold off until this pandemic is over Grin

WorraLiberty · 23/04/2020 22:01

If it does turn out to be true that nicotine protects you, I can see a whole new load of supermarket queue threads Grin

"I was standing in the Tesco queue in the car park and the selfish smoker in front of me, refused to blow his smoke my way. AIBU to think he should have shared?"

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SmileyClare · 23/04/2020 22:04

..and you wouldn't be able to get nicotine lozenges for love or money. Someone will stockpile them and sell them for £58 a packet online. Wink

goingoverground · 23/04/2020 22:08

I read a letter about using nicotine for ACE2 receptor downregulation in the bmj last month @WorraLiberty. The letter and the science behind it is linked here:

www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1087/rr-0

WorraLiberty · 23/04/2020 22:12

That looks interesting goingoverground, thanks.

I've saved it to read tomorrow as it's a bit hard to follow and I've had a large glass of wine long day Grin

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