Chicago Chesed Fund

https://www.chicagochesedfund.org/

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Tobacco is Good For You

THIS IS COPIED FROM A DIFFERENT WEBSITE. IT IS NOT CONSONANT WITH OTHER POSTS ON THIS BLOG, BUT I AM POSTING IT AS A PUBLIC SERVICE.
Maybe I've been quarantined too long.


In perhaps the greatest cosmic absurdity, it appears that tobacco use protects against infection by the Covid 19 virus.

Perhaps instead of "cosmic," the word should be "comic."




Obviously, medical professionals and laymen assumed the opposite.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/smokers-appear-to-be-at-higher-risk-from-coronavirus-expert/

But a closer examination reveals the truth.

I have been following this from the beginning.  The most recent article that I saw, noting the bizarre inverse relationship between Covid and smoking, concludes by saying


Earlier intimations of this counterintuitive but empirical reality include this, from  "The Lancet"


This sex predisposition might be associated with the much higher smoking rate in men than in women in China (288 million men vs 12·6 million women were smokers in 2018). Of note, one study (preprint) 
5
  found that although ACE2 expression was not significantly different between Asian and white people, men and women, or subgroups aged older and younger than 60 years, it was significantly higher in current smokers of Asian ethnicity than Asian non-smokers; although no difference was found between smokers and non-smokers who were white. Nonetheless, the current literature does not support smoking as a predisposing factor in men or any subgroup for infection with SARS-CoV-2. In the study by Zhang and colleagues, 
2
  only 1·4% of patients were current smokers, although this number was much higher at 12·6% in the study by Guan and colleagues. 
4
  The relatively small proportion of current smokers in each of these two studies compared with the proportion of male smokers in China (50·5%) are unlikely to be associated with incidence or severity of COVID-19. A trend towards an association was seen between smoking and severity of COVID-19 in the study by Zhang and colleagues 
2
  (11·8% of smokers had non-severe disease vs 16·9% of smokers with severe disease), but it was not significant. Without strong evidence of an association between smoking and prevalence or severity of COVID-19 in Asian men compared with other subgroups, no firm conclusions can be drawn. With more cases being examined from different ethnic and genetic backgrounds worldwide, ACE2 expression variation can be better analysed and compared to establish whether it contributes to susceptibility to COVID-19 across the different subgroups.

The article referenced in note 2 is
  • Zhang JJ
  • Dong X
  • Cao Y
  • et al.
Clinical characteristics of 140 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, China.
Allergy. 2020; (published online Feb 19.)

Note 5 is 
  • Cai G
Bulk and single-cell transcriptomics identify tobacco-use disparity in lung gene expression of ACE2, the receptor of 2019-nCov.
medRxiv. 2020; (published online Feb 28.)

I am not a doctor. I don't know if the consequence of widespread smoking would be positive because of the protection from Coronavirus, or negative, because of increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and emphysema. 

But it's remarkable that with all the silly nostrums out there, nobody wants to talk about this one, which has such a strong scientific basis that it breaches the "it can't possibly be true" research barrier.

I personally don't want to take up smoking again, because I remember how much it impaired my daily functionality and how hard it was for me to quit. I'm sure that if I started again, I would rather risk some horrible disease than quit again.  Even for the rest of you, only a fool would pick up on this and begin smoking. But vaping might be something to consider. Now we need a vape we can use on yomtov..... A Shabbos Vape. Come on, Tzomet! 




6 comments:

  1. Sorry to disappoint you but there's strong evidence vaping increases COVID risk.

    From UCHealth:
    https://www.uchealth.org/today/4-reasons-why-you-should-stop-vaping/
    https://www.uchealth.org/today/vaping-and-the-coronavirus-do-not-mix

    Stop smoking prayer:
    https://mevashir.home.blog/2019/12/19/stop-smoking-prayer/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually stopped smoking around ten years ago, after more than forty years of smoking.
      With all due respect, sir, and I say this with pity more than scorn, it is not good to make up your mind before thinking. The two articles you sent, one was from the beginning of April, before the papers I cite were published, and the other was a general Pre-Covid warning the Smoking Is Not Good For You. It has nothing to do with the Covid virus.
      I understand that critical thought is not natural, but it is a skill that can be developed. In fact, it is a cultural heritage of the Jewish People. That is why the only people that even think about adopting your belief in Yeshua are the ignorant and disenchanted. Almost no well educated and emotionally sound Jew will pay any attention to the fictions you espouse.

      Delete
  2. You can congratulate yourself for being so clever for eternity in hell surrounded by all the other spiritually arrogant losers

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't know if you've ever Vaped but I have. I spent two years trying to quit. It is a very nasty habit with a host of serious medical issues such as skun rashes sinus problems joint pain &arthritis & bleeding gums. My doctor &dentist unanimously urged me to stop which I finally did by the grace of God.

    ReplyDelete
  4. People should be aware of a major Jewish deception about Messiah. They believe that Messiah will come at the end of history as a reward for good Jewish behavior and faithful performance of Commandments. That Messiah will reign for forty years and then the world will be destroyed and lie desolate for 1,000 years before the resurrection of the Dead.

    The Christian view is that Messiah came two thousand years ago and we his followers have to spend that time bringing his light to the ends of the Earth.

    Christians believe Messiah is a cure for a deadly illness, while Jews believe the Messiah is a reward for their good behavior.

    I was an ultra-Orthodox Jew for 18 years before converting to Christianity. Please go to my blog for precious links for Jewish Evangelistic Outreach or email me for free PDF copy: mevashir@aol.com

    https://mevashir.home.blog/2019/12/19/jewish-outreach-links/
    https://www.4shared.com/web/preview/pdf/j_Aw2o4Miq

    I sraeli
    C hristian
    E vangelists

    W orshipping
    A ncient
    T ruth &
    E verlasting
    R ighteousness

    🙋🎀🎁🌈🏋️🌹🥇👰👼🎯


    Shalom 🇮🇱
    Salaam 🇸🇦
    Peace 🇺🇸
    Pax 🇻🇦
    Pacem 🇭🇺
    Mir 🇷🇺
    Irini 🇬🇷
    Frieden 🇩🇪

    🙋🎀🎁🌈🏋️🌹🥇👰👼🎯

    ReplyDelete
  5. I should explain that I was Haredi for 18 years before converting. Breslov was my bridge to Yeshua &Natzrut.

    ReplyDelete