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Jaylotw

Lifer
Mar 13, 2020
1,062
4,063
NE Ohio
Interesting, and from reputable sources. However, they state pretty emphatically that it’s undergoing peer review and that, while a significant relationship between % of daily smokers correlated inversely with COVID death rate, a lot of other factors could be-and most likely are-at play. Still, there is a correlation too large to ignore. The site even states that “

The difference in mortality rate is “too large” to be accounted for by smoking​

All that leads me to believe that it may not be the smoking itself, but other reasons related to it-maybe because we’re always going outside? Maybe others stay farther away because we stink? I don’t know. Neither do they.

I live with a scientist, who smokes. I’ll have her read the paper and see what she thinks. She’s way better at these kinds of things.
 

Jaylotw

Lifer
Mar 13, 2020
1,062
4,063
NE Ohio

mordy18

Can't Leave
Mar 12, 2019
381
1,369
Northern New Jersey
It may be the nicotine, not smoking per se. See link and summary below. The negative correlation between smokers and COVID have been reported anecdotally since early in the pandemic and there are several studies that are convincing enough to lead to nicotine patch therapy in some cases. If (and its still an IF) nicotine, as an ACE receptor inhibitor, has a prophylactic and/or therapeutic effect on COVID -- my guess (and it is just a guess) that pipe and cigar smoking probably would be a greatly preferred nicotine delivery system over cigarettes as the impact on the lungs is greatly reduced (although not without impact). It's convincing enough for me to increase my smoking to at least one bowl or cigar a day at least until this shit is over.


Brief Summary:
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic represents a major therapeutic challenge. The highly contagious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) and the long duration of the disease have led to a massive influx of patients admitted in health services and intensive care units. These patients represent a significant infection risk to the medical staff. According to current knowledge, there are no treatments that prevent the spread of the infection, especially in exposed populations, or the disease progression to a severe form.
Daily active smokers are infrequent among outpatients or hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Several arguments suggest that nicotine is responsible for this protective effect via the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR).
Nicotine may inhibit the penetration and spread of the virus and have a prophylactic effect in COVID-19 infection, especially in healthcare workers who are at high risk of infection.
 

Grangerous

Lifer
Dec 8, 2020
3,266
13,159
East Coast USA
Correlation is not necessarily causation...people seem to forget that. Not that it might not be in this case--frankly, I don't know and don't care...no study is going to change my lifestyle...I'm simply not a group thinker, but people do seem to forget that a lot.
The Mind is primed to reach false conclusions.

Here’s an Example:

A Pediatrician is about to give a child a vaccination when the child is struck by a seizure. Had the injection been administered a moment sooner, it would surely appear as though the vaccine caused the seizure and no study on earth would convince the parents otherwise.

Erroneous beliefs aren’t easily overturned and when tinged with emotion, they’re nearly impossible.

Cause and Effect illusions cement erroneous ideas in the mind.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,777
29,583
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
It could also be that pipe smokers were practicing social distance before it was a thing.
I had the same thought.
Though that said two other thoughts. Nicotine is antimicrobial. It kills things. The other is the body is weird and this is not currently a very well understood disease (although it is shocking the amount of stuff we already know) that does lots of weird things. It is also possible that nicotine helps the body regulate some function which effects how the disease us. There are a lot of weird things nicotine does to the body mostly good (mainly it's the burning some plant material and especially inhaling it that isn't so good). Snus users have a higher chance of living through a heart attack then a non tobacco user for instance, in part because nicotine helps the body with creating new blood vessels. Heck it could be because the body is used to the respiratory system being damaged and is already primed to be in a protective and repair mode. Or it could be bad science and a total wash.
 

greeneyes

Lifer
Jun 5, 2018
2,151
12,253
I love retractions.

"Scientific paper claiming smokers less likely to acquire Covid retracted over tobacco industry links ...
Analysis of the paper identified several biases ‘which may give the false impression that smoking is protective in Covid-19’"