I'm Not Suggesting You Start . . .

[Danger-Mouse]

Having quit smoking partly because of Corona (23 days now) it's somewhat ironic that the habit seems to be a protection against the Corona virus.

Coronavirus is a respiratory illness that can badly affect the lungs. Smoking is harmful in every way possible, but new research says the bad habit may protect people from COVID-19.

Leading infectious disease expert at University College London, Professor Francois Balloux, said there is "bizarrely strong" evidence for the claim.

One study by America's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) examined over 7,000 people who tested positive for COVID-19.

Surprisingly, only 1.3 percent of them were smokers, compared to the CDC report that 14 percent of all Americans smoke.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1269815/coronavirus-smoking-chinese-study-nicotine-pneumonia

[Scully]

Stopped over ten years ago....can’t afford to start again! A woman in front of me in a queue at the local newsagent paid 48 quid for four packets the other week! 😳

[Danger-Mouse]

3 minutes ago, Scully said:

Stopped over ten years ago....can’t afford to start again! A woman in front of me in a queue at the local newsagent paid 48 quid for four packets the other week! 😳

Wow! I couldn't have afforded to smoke at those prices.  I was strictly a roll up man and most of my baccy didn't come from the corner shop.  

[victorismyhero]

I had to laugh the other day

an old boy I talk to regularly says he's smoked since he was 14, (he's now 85) and is fit as a fiddle, says when he started smoking he was on capstan full strength (they were pure evil.....) and now smokes what he describes as his own evil concoction, which even he admits, smells a bit like a cross between a burning straw stack and burning car tyres, with a bit of burning manure thrown in........well he reckons after 60 odd years of that, nowt will kill him, and as he put it...theres a reason you creosote fences........

me...I just shake my head and grin....one life...live it......

[henry d]

Assisted both my parents deaths without a doubt. COPD and heart attack, neither were actual causes of death.

[The Heron]

14 hours ago, Mr_Nobody said:

Having quit smoking partly because of Corona (23 days now) it's somewhat ironic that the habit seems to be a protection against the Corona virus.

Coronavirus is a respiratory illness that can badly affect the lungs. Smoking is harmful in every way possible, but new research says the bad habit may protect people from COVID-19.

Leading infectious disease expert at University College London, Professor Francois Balloux, said there is "bizarrely strong" evidence for the claim.

One study by America's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) examined over 7,000 people who tested positive for COVID-19.

Surprisingly, only 1.3 percent of them were smokers, compared to the CDC report that 14 percent of all Americans smoke.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1269815/coronavirus-smoking-chinese-study-nicotine-pneumonia

This is the equivalent of drinking your self sober. 

[Danger-Mouse]

9 minutes ago, The Heron said:

This is the equivalent of drinking your self sober. 

Did you actually bother to read the title of the thread? 

However, as you've brought up drinking allow me to quote The Critical Drinker, "Go away now".

[lancer425]

11 minutes ago, The Heron said:

This is the equivalent of drinking your self sober. 

I am no medic but i have to go with this view of this.

A virus that attacks the respiratory system, and the lungs  to such an extent in some cases it damages them to such an extent long term lung problems can be caused. Has to be a bigger threat to a smokers lungs than a otherwise healthy non smoker. But i am no medic so i could be very wrong, either way i think smoking is a real bad idea always has been always will be. 

I remember watching a old film in svhool from the states called Joes lungs. No never it worked for me i avoided smoking like the plague after that.

[lancer425]

12 minutes ago, Mr_Nobody said:

Did you actually bother to read the title of the thread? 

However, as you've brought up drinking allow me to quote The Critical Drinker, "Go away now".

Read it and too many % quotes.  I think its flawed info no matter who drafted it. And i dare have money on my opinion getting the thumbs up from more medical people than those who drafted that little lot. Smoking has massive benefits but that’s not one of them.

[Danger-Mouse]

3 minutes ago, lancer425 said:

Read it and too many % quotes.  I think its flawed info no matter who drafted it. And i dare have money on my opinion getting the thumbs up from more medical people than those who drafted that little lot. Smoking has massive benefits but that’s not one of them.

"Leading infectious disease expert at University College London, Professor Francois Balloux, said there is "bizarrely strong" evidence for the claim."

Excuse me if I find his opinion more interesting and potentially more accurate than a self admitted non-medic's

Again, I never suggested anyone start smoking in fact I stated that I have quit smoking largely motivated by the possible threat of the Corona virus on my own health. 

[lancer425]

13 minutes ago, Mr_Nobody said:

"Leading infectious disease expert at University College London, Professor Francois Balloux, said there is "bizarrely strong" evidence for the claim."

Excuse me if I find his opinion more interesting and potentially more accurate than a self admitted non-medic's

Again, I never suggested anyone start smoking in fact I stated that I have quit smoking largely motivated by the possible threat of the Corona virus on my own health. 

Well we agree its a bad idea at least, and i think non medic that i am that the finding in that link could be torn to pieces in next to no time by a bit more close scrutiny.   I think its data gathered and how it was gathered, thats indicating the findings not real facts. Broader research i am sure will prove me the non medic and clearly you the reformed smoker were right to feel smoking is bad for corona virus sufferers.  Even an oft posted video from a few weeks ago now of a woman on a ventilator, clearly saying if you smoke stop you need your F word  lungs. Foul language but kind of indicates what one would imagine and what one hears. This claim that smoking has positive effects is RADICAL> in fact i think its right there with 5G network and other Radical claims surrounding this virus. Believe what you want no offence in any way and genuinely pleased you stopped smoking. I am sure you will be much better off without that habit.

[Raja Clavata]

This report seems to contradict the original report cited above.

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.28.013672v1

This one seems to sit on the fence , so to speak

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30117-X/fulltext

Nonetheless, it's all very interesting and I suspect reading the original post late last night triggered the dreams I had about acquiring a weed smoking habit...

[lancer425]

43 minutes ago, Raja Clavata said:

This report seems to contradict the original report cited above.

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.28.013672v1

This one seems to sit on the fence , so to speak

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30117-X/fulltext

Nonetheless, it's all very interesting and I suspect reading the original post late last night triggered the dreams I had about acquiring a weed smoking habit...

In my very non medical opinion the top link is more believable, than the subject matter of this thread.

[Good shot?]

More to the point, it shows that one experts opinion varies to a massive extent to another experts opinion on the same subject..

Which experts we listen to can be critical.

 

[lancer425]

30 minutes ago, Good shot? said:

More to the point, it shows that one experts opinion varies to a massive extent to another experts opinion on the same subject..

Which experts we listen to can be critical.

 

First off it sounded out there , and once the % figures  started popping up like crocuses down the park , the shutters went down for me . Just another coronavirus radical theory AFAIAC.

[Raja Clavata]

Indeed, the clue may be in the "One study" 👍

[Danger-Mouse]

On 19/04/2020 at 13:12, Raja Clavata said:

Indeed, the clue may be in the "One study" 👍

Or maybe not.

https://www.france24.com/en/20200423-france-testing-whether-nicotine-could-prevent-coronavirus-1

[Raja Clavata]

The story certainly is evolving but of course you don't have to smoke to absorb nicotine and apparently nicotine patches are the new toilet roll and hand sanitiser.

[snow white]

I used to smoke hundred park drive a day and I am not kidding smoke from the age of ten with the big lads in our street I packed in thirty five years ago my missis was having our seven kid and I said to myself one day if I don’t pack these fxxxxxxxx fags up I want see it grow up so I just stopped it’s took lot will power but I never touched one from that day to this.ps she had another lad that was seven.

[bear62]

sounds like Balloux to me

[Danger-Mouse]

2 hours ago, Raja Clavata said:

The story certainly is evolving but of course you don't have to smoke to absorb nicotine and apparently nicotine patches are the new toilet roll and hand sanitiser.

Yeah, as I said, wasn't suggesting anyone start smoking.

Thanks I now have the image of people queuing outside Boots for patches and gum lol.

[Raja Clavata]

32 minutes ago, Mr_Nobody said:

Yeah, as I said, wasn't suggesting anyone start smoking.

Indeed, acknowledged. I've only skim read the articles and not looked into it further but I'm assuming by definition in order to benefit you'd have to be either an active smoker or taking nicotine "supplements". 

1 hour ago, Mr_Nobody said:

Thanks I now have the image of people queuing outside Boots for patches and gum lol.

Well your original post led to me dreaming of developing a weed smoking habit, I'd call that evens 😜 

[Danger-Mouse]

2 hours ago, Raja Clavata said:

Indeed, acknowledged. I've only skim read the articles and not looked into it further but I'm assuming by definition in order to benefit you'd have to be either an active smoker or taking nicotine "supplements". 

Well your original post led to me dreaming of developing a weed smoking habit, I'd call that evens 😜 

I would presume so. It seems that the nicotine may somehow act as a blocker against the virus. I'm not sure how long after quitting you'd retain your resistance. I seem to remember reading that not many ex-smokers were hospitalised either, but I could be wrong on that.

Well, in health terms you're better off with weed than tobacco. Not sure you FEO would be too happy about it though.  (Although you're probably safe enough with a dream habit.)

[TIGHTCHOKE]

I wonder if they will start selling loads of nicotine patches?

[mel b3]

I seem to remember in the dim distant past , reading something along similar lines . It went something like , nicotine or other chemicals from smoking , kill a cold virus , but , the constant hand to mouth contact of smoking , massively increased the risk of putting the cold virus into the smoker , and that smoking massively increased the risk of the smoker dieing of other smoking related issues .