A Greek cardiologist and French neuroscientist are trying to find out
The Chinese smoke. Well over half the nation’s men are smokers, and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one third of the planet’s cigarettes are smoked in China. But earlier this year, Konstantinos Farsalinos noticed something odd: Very few of those hospitalized for the coronavirus in the country appeared to be smokers.
Farsalinos, a cardiologist and tobacco harm-reduction specialist in Greece, has since been wondering if nicotine, the chemical substance found in tobacco, could be preventing people from getting COVID-19, or stopping the symptoms from becoming worse.
Alex Norcia – VICE – April 28, 2020.