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French researchers are on their way to commence a human trial to confirm their hypothesis that nicotine (smoking) helps the human body fight the COVID-19 infection.
The trial will consist of patients as well as healthcare personnel. The two groups will be given nicotine patches and placebo patches. Next, the subjects will be tested to identify differences in response to the virus.
The trial is a continuation to a French study of public health data that suggested that smokers have an 80 percent lower chance of being infected by the COVID-19 in comparison with non-smoker, their sex and age remaining constant.
The Basic Idea of The Hypothesis
The hypothesis is based on the idea that nicotine which is found in tobacco hampers the ability of the coronavirus molecules to attach themselves to receptors in the human body.
"Though authors declare no financial conflict of interest…..Between 1995 and 1998 Jean-Pierre Changeux received grants totalling 220,000 USD from the Council for Tobacco Research.[1] In the late 1990s he became a collaborator and advisor for…" https://t.co/ZmChITJuHo
— Rima Nakkash (@rimanakkash) April 28, 2020
“You have the virus which arrives on the receptor, and the nicotine blocks that, and they separate,” said Jean-Pierre Changeux, emeritus professor of neuroscience at France’s Pasteur institute, in regards with the hypothetical process.
Zahir Amoura, a professor at Pitie-Salpetriere University Hospital in Paris, co-authored the study and is conducting the trial together with Jean-Pierre Changeux.
Amoura stated that testing on sample group that comprises of fifteen hundred health professionals could be the most noteworthy component of the trial.
Adding, "Jean-Pierre Changeux, the lead author of the second paper, has long-standing links with the tobacco industry" https://t.co/APYqfTfyxC
— Sherry Emery (@SherryEmery) April 29, 2020
Assessment will be made to see if they catch the virus, and whether the subjects wearing the nicotine patches are show increased resistance than other subjects wearing the placebo patches.
Amoura has claimed that this trial could give us a way to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Identical tests will be conducted on 400 other people who have been hospitalized on account of COVID-19 symptoms to analyze the effect of nicotine on their recovery process.
When Do The Trials Begin?
The trial is set to begin more or less 3 weeks from now. The researchers expressed concern about the effect of their claim and urged people not to take up smoking because of its adverse effects on human health.
