Efficacy of Nicotine in Preventing COVID-19 Infection (NICOVID-PREV)
Daily active smokers are infrequent among outpatients or hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Several arguments suggest that nicotine is responsible for this protective effect via the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR).
Nicotine may inhibit the penetration and spread of the virus and have a prophylactic effect in COVID-19 infection.
You don't have to smoke it, just can use a lozenge.
It wasn't inconclusive at all. Harvard Medical School did a 20 year study on second hand tobacco smoke in the 1970s. The results of their study was that people who live with smokers face no increased risk of anything. A few years later the Govt paid other scientists to re evaluate the findings. They took the money and used some creative extrapolation to be able to say some tiny risk exists. The scientists later publicly called their work "Junk Science."
Now you know why there has been a massive campaign for several decades to rid Western Countries of any and all tobacco, while in Asian Countries, particularly China, use has been encouraged at the same time. Teenagers are allowed to buy and use tobacco, and smoke indoors with others at will.
This has been a long time in the making.
Who'd a thunk tobacco would survive the onslaught but here we are.