Call to trial nicotine patches in COVID-19 cases
It’s not an invitation to take up smoking, but nicotine may have a protective role, argue UK doctors
It may seem counterintuitive, but UK doctors have called for trials of nicotine patches as a possible treatment for COVID-19 patients.
They say this isn’t an invitation to take up smoking, since smokers with COVID-19 have poorer outcomes than non-smokers.
But Welsh trauma consultant Dr Jonathan Davies says nicotine replacement products may have a role in preventing infection by blocking ACE2 receptors in the airways.
He and colleagues at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llanrisant suggested a possible anti-coronavirus role for nicotine replacement therapies in the BMJ back in March.
