Interesting Data from CDC Regarding Smoking and COVID-19

[sholto]

Saw a tweet today from @FarsalinosK (apparently a cardiologist from his profile):

Report of COVID-19 cases in USA. 7074 patients with completed information. Only 96 (1.3%) were current smokers, and only 165 (2.3%) were former smokers. Current and former smoking prevalence in the US is 13.8% and 22% respectively (2018). More data needed

Preliminary Estimates of the Prevalence of Selected Underlying... - https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6913e2.htm
Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults in the United States - https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm
Link to tweet (for those who have Twitter):

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1245150819512713219

I'm definitely not an expert in any of this but the numbers at the CDC pages check out. It does seem odd that only 1.3% of the 7074 patients were current smokers. Is there a perhaps a protective effect from nicotine? The ignominy if the CDC had to issue advice on using nicotine to combat COVID-19!

 

[olkofri]

Wild guess here: the constant contact with smoke has somehow hardened the epithelium of the airways making it harder for the virus to take hold.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

Wild guess here: the constant contact with smoke has somehow hardened the epithelium of the airways making it harder for the virus to take hold.

I like it. We need to do a study to prove this. Haha

 

[python]

It's more likely that smokers are treated like lepers and must keep their distance away from everyone anyway, thus smokers have been practicing social distancing for decades now.

 

[ray47]

I smoke Five Brothers all day long, so I'm protected .

 

[olkofri]

It's more likely that smokers are treated like lepers and must keep their distance away from everyone anyway, thus smokers have been practicing social distancing for decades now.

I was just thinking about this whilst having a shower. Smokers and crowds just don't mix: smoker lives to enjoy another day, another blend.

 

[trouttimes]

I told you guys in another thread...English blends will kill anything. I bet the 1.3% that did get the virus were aro smokers. Long live Latakia!

 

[olkofri]

I told you guys in another thread...English blends will kill anything. I bet the 1.3% that did get the virus were aro smokers. Long live Latakia!

I'll gladly take all your bags of Trout Stream, since you're no longer smoking aros. ?

 

[trouttimes]

I'll gladly take all your bags of Trout Stream, since you're no longer smoking aros. ?

I would do that but once the social distancing things is over, I might want people to come around again.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

It's more likely that smokers are treated like lepers and must keep their distance away from everyone anyway, thus smokers have been practicing social distancing for decades now.

I agree and would augment this by saying many of us smokers would just as soon distance ourselves well more than 6 feet from all the judgmental anti tobacco Nazis.

 

[olkofri]

Bump.

Another study shewing that smoking might just keep you away from the hospital in the present pandemic (link to study in first paragraph of story):

Study: Smokers Appear Less Likely to Be Hospitalised with COVID-19

Smoking may reduce the likelihood of being hospitalised with coronavirus, claim researchers at the University of West Attica and NYU.

www.breitbart.com

 

[coming to_falling too]

Interesting stuff here

 

[Casual]

That’s really funny. There are going to be a lot of public health people with cognitive dissonance.