Coronavirus: Smokers fit dey protected against Covid-19?

French researchers find say fewer smokers na im be Covid-19 patients compared to di general population.

Researchers wey dey study Covid-19 patients for Paris public hospital network don find some evidence say smokers fit dey better protected from di virus than other pipo.

Dem don propose say make dem chook eye on di role of nicotine and how e no dey allow di virus to take over di body, though dem don warn against pipo to dey smoke as e get other health gbege wey follow am and smokers wey dey infected with Covid-19 most times dey develop more serious symptoms because of di effect of tobacco smoke on di lungs.

Sabi pipo from plenti institutions look at 482 patients at di Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital for Paris wey test positive for Covid-19, dem find out say di ones wey dey smoke dey lower than oda pipo for France, where report dey say na 25.4 per cent of di pipo dey smoke everyday.

Of di group, 343 dey for serious condition for hospital sake of complications and their smoking rate na 4.4 per cent, and dem don discharge 139 pipo wey get less symptoms, and dia smoking rate na 5.3 per cent.Dis surprise come make dem torchlight di mata.Based on dia age and sex, researchers find out say di number of smokers appear to get some kain protection against di virus.

Smokers fit dey protected?

Di study "confam say active smokers dey protected against di Sars-Cov-2 infection," dem write am for press release. "We no really sabi di reason for dis protection but nicotine fit cause am."

Di head of France national health agency, Jerome Salomon, say dem never fit prove say na nicotine dey cause am for dis stage and dem maintain say smoking still be di number one killer for France and 75,000 na im die from smoking-related complications every year.

How e fit work?

Di types of nAChRs [nicotine receptors] dey stay for inside neurons, immune cells (including macrophages), cardiac tissue, lungs, and blood vessels."Dis one mean say, nicotine fit block di virus to enter di body through neurons wey dey di olfactory system or through lung cells.

Dem still never fit prove a but researchers dey plan to organise clinical study to use nicotine patches, if di French health authorities approve am.Di study go dey for three things: to see if nicotine fit prevent infection for healthcare workers; to see how e go work and to lower di symptoms of patients wey dey hospitalised; and to see di effect on patients wey dey intensive care.

But for one BBC report, experts don tok say smokers and vapers are more at risk if dey catch coronavirus,

Di British Medical Journal also say smoking dey involve repetitive hand-to-face movement - wey fit increase di likelihood say pipofit touch dia face..One Dr Sandesh Gulhane explain say smoking na irritant on di lungs wey fit cause problem for airwaves and e go dey narrow."Now na di time to quit," im tok.