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posted by martyb on Thursday April 16 2020, @10:52PM   Printer-friendly
from the Smoke-'em-if-you-got-'em? dept.

We received three different submissions pertaining to the effects of smoking on COVID-19. One study suggests that those who smoke have a reduced likelihood of hospitalization. The comingling of separate data for male and female patients and analysis based on that data seems unusual to me. The second report is not restricted to hospitalizations, but only to those who tested positive for the virus. Their results also suggested a lessened number of self-identified smokers than smoking rates in the general public would suggest. The third and final story submission introduced vaping to the discussion, and comes to the opposite conclusion in suggesting that smoking or vaping may increase the risk of contracting COVID-19.

Confounding these analyses is that all reports of smoking are self-reported. I can well imagine if someone had tried to quit smoking, and had convinced their spouse they had indeed stayed stopped, they would be reluctant to reveal in their spouse's presence that they were a smoker. If anything, though, would that not run counter to the possibility of a protective effect? As with most things pertaining to the virus, it is likely too early to tell for certain, but it does add another dimension to the discussion. Assuming that smoking does have a preventative effect, what could be the cause? Increased residue in the lungs makes it harder for the virus to latch onto the lung's cells and infect? Could it be that chemicals in the smoke serve to impair the virus's ability to survive in the lungs and cause an infection?

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

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/04/02/study-smokers-less-likely-to-be-hospitalised-with-covid-19/:

Smoking may reduce the likelihood of being hospitalised with coronavirus, claims a study.

Here is the abstract of the studySmoking, vaping and hospitalization for COVID-19 – by researchers at the University of West Attica in Greece and New York University.

The study presents an analysis of the current smoking prevalence among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in China, compared to the population smoking prevalence in China (52.1% in males and 2.7% in females). Through a systematic research of the literature (PubMed) we identified 7 studies examining the clinical characteristics of a total of 2352 hospitalized COVID-19 patients that presented data on the smoking status.

The expected number of smokers was calculated using the formula Expected smokers = (males x 0.521) + (females x 0.027). An unusually low prevalence of current smoking was observed among hospitalized COVID-19 patients (8.7%, 95%CI: 7.6-9.9%) compared to the expected prevalence based on smoking prevalence in China (30.3%, 95%CI: 28.4-32.1%; z-statistic: 22.80, P < 0.0001). This preliminary analysis does not support the argument that current smoking is a risk factor for hospitalization for COVID-19, and might even suggest a protective role.

The latter could be linked to the down-regulation of ACE2 expression that has been previously known to be induced by smoking. However, other confounding factors need to be considered and the accuracy of the recorded smoking status needs to be determined before making any firm conclusions. As a result, the generalized advice on quitting smoking as a measure to improve health risk remains valid, but no recommendation can currently be made concerning the effects of smoking on the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19.

No studies recording e-cigarette use status among hospitalized COVID-19 patients were identified. Thus, no recommendation can be made for e-cigarette users.

Does smoking PROTECT against coronavirus?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8214749/David-Hockney-claims-smoking-cigarettes-PROTECT-against-coronavirus.html:

When world-famous artist David Hockney wrote a letter to the Daily Mail saying he believes smoking could protect people against the coronavirus many scoffed.

Mr Hockney wrote: 'Could it not be that smokers have developed an immune system to this virus? With all these figures coming out, it's beginning to look like that to me.'

Understandably the claim was brushed off as laughable and 'rubbish' by many.

But is it?

A leading infectious disease expert at University College London, Professor Francois Balloux, said there is 'bizarrely strong' evidence it could be true.

And data from multiple Chinese studies shows that COVID-19 hospital patients contained a smaller proportion of smokers than the general population (6.5 per cent compared to 26.6 per cent), suggesting they were less likely to end up in hospital.

Another study, by America's Centers for Disease Control of over 7,000 people who tested positive for coronavirus, found that just 1.3 per cent of them were smokers - against the 14 per cent of all Americans that the CDC says smoke.

The study also found that the smokers stood no greater chance of ending up in hospital or an ICU.

The reasons for this are unclear.

FDA Shifts Its Covid-19 Stance on Vaping, Smoking Impact

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/fda-shifts-its-covid-19-stance-on-vaping-smoking-impact/ar-BB12HeLc:

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration modified its stance on Covid-19 and vaping, saying it has an unknown effect on the risk of the new coronavirus, while warning that smoking can create worse outcomes.

"E-cigarette use can expose the lungs to toxic chemicals, but whether those exposures increase the risk of Covid-19 is not known," the agency said Wednesday in an emailed response to a question from Bloomberg News.

The agency had said late last month that vapers and smokers with underlying health conditions might be at higher risk from complications.

Its description of cigarettes' risks also differed from its earlier statements. "Cigarette smoking causes heart and lung diseases, suppresses the immune system, and increases the risk of respiratory infections," FDA spokeswoman Alison Hunt said. "People who smoke cigarettes may be at increased risk from Covid-19, and may have worse outcomes from Covid-19."


Original Submission #1Original Submission #2Original Submission #3

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Snotnose on Friday April 17 2020, @02:56AM (8 children)

    by Snotnose (1623) on Friday April 17 2020, @02:56AM (#983923)

    Anyone else notice the trending "I was never a Trump supporter"

    2 points. First, I couldn't hold my nose and vote for either HRC nor Trump, I settled for Gary Johnson. Who turned out to be a huge disappointment.

    Second, a large fraction of the people who voted for Trump were actually voting against HRC.

    Sadly, the dems seem to be giving Trump a second term by nominating a clearly senile 77 y/o man as their candidate. I mean, really? Dafuq are the kingmakers thinking?

    --
    Why shouldn't we judge a book by it's cover? It's got the author, title, and a summary of what the book's about.
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  • (Score: 2) by deimtee on Friday April 17 2020, @04:11AM (7 children)

    by deimtee (3272) on Friday April 17 2020, @04:11AM (#983962) Journal

    The people in control at the DNC are quite happy with Trump. He is sending plenty of money their way, both directly to their businesses and by inciting their supporters to more fervent support. He is doing such a good job - from their point of view - that they have decided to give him a second term.

    --
    If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
    • (Score: 1) by khallow on Friday April 17 2020, @09:47AM (5 children)

      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday April 17 2020, @09:47AM (#984061) Journal
      This. They're phoning it in. It'll be easier to motivate the base in 2024 and easier to win with no sitting president. I still don't buy that Biden will lose. It's not over till the votes are counted.
      • (Score: 2) by deimtee on Friday April 17 2020, @12:53PM (4 children)

        by deimtee (3272) on Friday April 17 2020, @12:53PM (#984090) Journal

        I still don't buy that Biden will lose.

        Trump took apart every republican competitor, and then demolished HRC. He is not going to have problem beating Creepy Joe. Democrats are going to stay home in large numbers when the choice they have is "literally Hitler" Trump OR "kiddie sniffer" Joe.

        By putting Biden forth as the candidate the DNC has clearly stated that they want to give Trump a second term.

        --
        If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 17 2020, @02:26PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 17 2020, @02:26PM (#984118)

          "...By putting Biden forth as _the_ candidate..."

          Interesting revisionist perspective.

          Maybe I'm missing something, but I recall the DNC being open to a wide field of candidates, but that ultimately it was the primary voters (dems) who opted to support the most politically experienced and moderate of the candidates, notwithstanding his advanced age.

          Ultimately, it is the voters who will decide the election, and if the current leader has failed make america great, he will be dumped.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 18 2020, @02:02AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 18 2020, @02:02AM (#984421)

            Doesn't seem like you were paying attention.

            There was a wide field of candidates, for a while, until the party big-wigs leaned on all the candidates they had any leverage with to drop out - just a day or two before Super Tuesday. Voters didn't do that, in fact many of them had already voted for the candidates who dropped out in between when they voted and when the votes were counted.

            Bernie stayed in because he isn't really a Democrat and doesn't have to listen to them, and they let Warren stick around an extra week because she was taking as many votes away from Bernie as from the Chosen One. But they couldn't risk having Buttigieg or Klobuchar win and present a competitor to Donald Trump who could actually compete with him in terms of charisma.

            It's almost impossible to believe what happened in this particular primary. One possibility is that the tinfoil hat belief that "if you run, and they don't have dirt on you, they find a way to get you out" is actually right. Another possibility is that the Democrats are perfectly happy to lose because it's easier and more lucrative to complain about Trump than to try to beat him. The most charitable option is that the Democrats don't know what they believe, and are afraid to find out.

        • (Score: 1) by khallow on Friday April 17 2020, @04:55PM (1 child)

          by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday April 17 2020, @04:55PM (#984183) Journal
          There's still obvious stuff, like Trump dying of covid before November. It's not over.
          • (Score: 2) by deimtee on Saturday April 18 2020, @05:09PM

            by deimtee (3272) on Saturday April 18 2020, @05:09PM (#984610) Journal

            It's not just Trump. Biden and Sanders are also prime candidates for a corona funeral.

            --
            If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 17 2020, @11:52AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 17 2020, @11:52AM (#984076)

      The people in control at the DNC are quite happy with Trump.

      Selling out America for temporary money... that's what Republicans are doing these days. Not sure what they want next, a nuclear war? The China Derangement Syndrome is high in the Republican crowd. They just scream about China but without a fucking clue what to do. So the only thing they can come up with is trying to muscle the whatever allies they have into anti-China policies. That will backfire.

      As to DNC, no one is happy with retard tRump. He's destroying most of what is left of America's credibility in the world and allowing China to basically walk into the vacuum.

      So big Fuck You Nationalist/Fascist America.

      - The Rest of the World.