French scientists are about to launch a human trial to test their hypothesis that nicotine can help the body combat the COVID-19 infection, following a French study of public health data which showed that people who smoke are 80% less likely to catch Covid-19 than non-smokers of the same age and sex.
From the study, Jean-Pierre Changeux, emeritus professor of neuroscience at France's Pasteur Institute and Zahir Amoura, a professor at Paris' Pitie-Salpetriere University Hospital hypothesized that nicotine, contained in cigarettes, could influence whether or not the coronavirus molecules are able to attach themselves to receptors in the body.
For the trial, groups of 1,500 healthcare workers wearing nicotine patches and other groups wearing placebo patches will be tested to see if there is a difference in how their bodies respond to the virus.
Similar testing on 400 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms will be done to understand if nicotine alters the progress of the disease.