Researchers in France are planning to use nicotine patches on frontline health workers and coronavirus patients after studies showed smokers could be at lesser risk of getting COVID-19.
Nicotine could possibly be helping ward off the illness among smokers.
Doctors are not encouraging people to start smoking in an effort to reduce cases but a recent study indicated that out of 480 patients who tested positive in France for the illness, 4.4 percent of the 350 who were hospitalized were regular smokers.
Of the patients who were released to their homes, 5.5 percent smoked. Patients and health care workers will start receiving nicotine patches in clinical studies in France.