One French Study is Looking Into the Use of Nicotine Against Covid
A study conducted at a large French university hospital aimed to investigate whether there was a connection between daily smoking and the likelihood of contracting SARS-CoV-2. The researchers compared the prevalence of daily smokers among COVID-19 patients to that in the general French population, adjusting for sex and age. The results showed that only 5.3% of COVID-19 patients were daily smokers, compared to 25.4% in the general population. These findings led the researchers to suggest that daily smokers might have a significantly lower risk of developing symptomatic or severe COVID-19 compared to the broader population.
The idea that nicotine could help prevent "cytokine storms" in COVID-19 cases is rooted in some early hypotheses that emerged during the pandemic. Researchers observed that nicotine might have anti-inflammatory effects, potentially influencing the immune system's response.
Cytokine Storms
A cytokine storm is a severe immune reaction where the body releases an excessive amount of cytokines, proteins that signal the immune system to attack the infection. In some COVID-19 cases, this overreaction could lead to severe lung damage and other complications, potentially resulting in death.
Nicotine's Role
Nicotine is known to interact with the nervous system and may have some anti-inflammatory properties. Some studies suggested that nicotine could dampen the immune response, potentially reducing the likelihood of a cytokine storm. However, this hypothesis was met with caution, as nicotine is also associated with numerous health risks, particularly concerning the respiratory system.
While the idea is intriguing, it has not led to any definitive clinical applications. More comprehensive studies are needed to determine if nicotine or any other substance could safely and effectively modulate the immune response to prevent cytokine storms without causing other harmful effects.
Subsequently, a press release from Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) noted that nicotine could inhibit the virus’s ability to penetrate and spread within cells, potentially playing a preventive role against COVID-19. Further research on this topic was announced.
The study will be randomized, national, and multi-center, conducted in a double-blind manner, and will involve teams from Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Sorbonne University, and Inserm. It is expected to include around 1,633 medical and non-medical caregivers who are non-smokers or former smokers (who quit over a year ago), have no history of COVID-19 infection, and work with patients.
Researchers will administer nicotine patches to some participants for 4 to 5 months, with follow-up lasting 6 to 7 months. Although it is too early to determine exactly how nicotine interacts with the coronavirus, if confirmed as a protective factor, nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), including e-cigarettes, could play a key role in managing the pandemic.
Press Release, “Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris is launching a national study to evaluate the effectiveness of nicotine in preventing COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers” Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Nov. 20 2020
