Smokers and Vegetarians May Be Less Prone To Covid-19 Infection : CISR
Despite Covid-19 being a respiratory disease, due to its role in increasing the mucous production that may be acting as the first line of defense among the smoking population.
New Delhi | 26/04 : A recent survey conducted by CSIR (Council of Scientific Industrial Research), Government of India, has revealed that smokers and vegetarians have fewer risk to come across with Covid-19 infection.
The survey suggested smoking may be protective, despite Covid-19 being a respiratory disease, due to its role in increasing the mucous production that may be acting as the first line of defense among the smoking population. It indicated that vegetarian food rich in fiber may have a role to play in providing immunity against COVID-19 due to its anti-inflammatory properties by modification of gut microbiota.
According to the pan India Survey, an eminent team of 140 doctors and research scientists to study the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, and their neutralization capability to infer possible risk factors for infection. The study assessed 10,427 adult individuals working in more than 40 CSIR laboratories and centers in urban and semi-urban settings spread across and their family members. These people voluntarily participated in the study.
However, cautioned that there was a need for focused mechanistic studies to understand the effect of smoking and nicotine on coronavirus infection.
“Smoking is known to be severely detrimental to health and associated with multiple diseases and this observation should not be taken to be an endorsement, especially given that the association is not proved to be causal,” the paper stressed.
It indicated that vegetarian food rich in fiber might have a role to play in providing immunity against COVID-19 due to its anti-inflammatory properties by modification of gut microbiota.
The survey also found that those with blood group ‘O’ may be less susceptible to infection, while ‘B’ and ‘AB’ were at a higher risk. Sero-positivity was highest for blood group type ‘AB’, followed by B, it said, adding that blood group ‘O’ was found to be associated with a lower positivity rate.