Are smokers at less risk for contracting the coronavirus?

The claim: Nicotine substitutes could have a positive effect in fighting COVID-19
Amid coronavirus news, claims have surfaced that nicotine could contribute to preventing people from contracting COVID-19.

This followed the release of a study suggesting that those who smoke daily are less likely to develop a severe case of the virus.

Different news outlets, including The Daily Mail and The New York Post, reported on the findings from the French study, which came from the Pitié Salpêtrière, a major hospital in Paris.

“Nicotine may be suggested as a...