LUCKNOW: Tobacco may be a source of 40 types of cancer and 25 types of different diseases, but the

found in it could well be blocking the coronavirus from entering human cells and spreading in the body.

Researchers at a prestigious French institute have found that the number of smokers was much lower than non-smokers in a sample of Covid-19 patients, says Dr Suryakant, head of the respiratory medicine department at KGMU, Lucknow.

The finding, if approved by health authorities in France, could be used to protect frontline health workers by giving them nicotine chewing gum or patches, he adds.

The study was conducted by neurobiologist Jean-Pierre Changeux at France’s Pasteur Institute, which also published the finding in its journal on April 21. The researchers found that out of 350 hospitalised Covid-19 patients at a Paris hospital with a median age of 65, only 4.4% were smokers.

In 130 patients who were allowed home with less serious symptoms, the median age was 44 and only 5.3% smoked. Against this, approximately 40% of the French population aged between 44 and 53 years are smokers.

‘We give nicotine gum & chips to curb withdrawal symptoms’

Explaining the mechanism, Dr Suryakant says: “In human cells the mode of entry of the coronavirus is through two receptors — ACE-2 (angiotensin converting enzyme) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Nicotine binds with the latter, making this receptor non-available to the coronavirus. Thus it helps block the virus from entering human cells, leading to less chances of infection.”

“While making smokers quit tobacco, we give nicotine gum and chips to prevent withdrawal symptoms,” said the doctor, who has been running a tobacco cessation clinic in his department for years, adding, “We call it the

.”

Dr Suryakant clarified that the use of tobacco cannot be supported in any form, but nicotine therapy could definitely be used for frontline Covid-19 warriors as a preventive measure.

In nicotine therapy, the agents that are used to address tobacco cessation are nicotine patches and nicotine chewing gum.

Doctors, healthcare workers and the families of Covid-19 patients could be advised the use of these agents, said Dr Suryakant, but cautioned that these should be taken only on the advice of an expert physician.