>>9327385 (pb)

Is the "smoking gun" of how COVID-19 spread is inhibited cigarette smoke? Is this how China tried to minimize domestic infection with its man-made virus?

"According to research, developing countries have the highest rate of tobacco use. “China was found to be one of the countries with the highest male-to-female ratio of smoking prevalence”: 74% of males and 8% of females were smokers."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_cigarette_consumption_per_capita

States where infection is worst, what are the rates of smokers? New York, New Jersey, Texas, California vs West Virginia, Montana, Louisiana, Kentucky.

https://www.cdc.gov/statesystem/cigaretteuseadult.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html

"Mechanistic studies postulate that the increased susceptibility to infection might be due to upregulation of the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, the main receptor used by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to gain entry to host mucosa and cause active infection—an apparently unique mechanism to this virus. Current smokers have increased gene expression of ACE2, than previous smokers and non-smokers. In addition, there is an association between FEV1 and ACE2 gene expression. Despite this association, it is unclear whether modification of ACE2 receptor frequency or availability has an effect on mortality. Certainly, patients on ACE inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin 2 receptor blockers (ARBs) do not appear to be at increased risk of infection or death. Non-peer-reviewed data released from France suggests that smoking might have a potential protective effect against SARS-CoV-2 infection, via interaction with the acetylcholine receptor, but these data have not been confirmed and should not in any way be an indicator to start or continue smoking."

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30239-3/fulltext

Does smoking cigarettes inhibit COVID infection or reduce the severity of infection?

Does the virus target males over females?

"Sex-specific inflammatory responses, including relatively higher levels of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in men, or the protective effect of estrogen in women, may also factor into the disparities."

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/studies-find-men-more-prone-covid-19-death

Day 1 lurker, first post. Apologies if jacked up.