In a study from the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) in Mannheim/Germany, scientists found that frequent alcohol drinking may lead to an increased risk of COVID-19 infection and present a potential for complications in disease development.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major challenge for many people.
As a result, rates of mental illness have steadily increased and alcohol has become a commonly used means of escaping the worries of everyday life.
Many risk factors, such as age and obesity, that contribute to an infection and an unfavorable course of COVID-19 disease are known.
However, the extent to which alcohol drinking has an impact on COVID-19, or whether alcohol consumption also contributes to an unfavorable course of COVID-19 disease, has not yet been elucidated.
This gap in knowledge is surprising considering that 2.2 billion people consume alcohol on a regular basis.
The researchers have now addressed this question.
In several animal models of long-term alcohol drinking and dependence, they examined the expression of key COVID markers in various organs considered vulnerable to the disease and potential complications.
They found that the coronavirus entry receptor, ACE2, was increased in the lungs of all animal models studied.
The results suggest that this increases the risk of COVID-19 infection through the increased entry of the virus.
The lung is considered a very susceptible organ to infection with SARS-CoV2. Thus, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) often occurs in cases of serious COVID-19 disease.
The work first shows that frequent alcohol consumption can lead to an increased risk of COVID-19 infection and is a potential for complications in the course of the disease.
This study thus provides new evidence suggesting that alcohol drinking may have a potential effect on overall COVID-19 infection risk and favor complications associated with the disease.
Clarifying studies on patients are urgently needed to further investigate the impact of these effects.
If you care about health, please read studies about very strong brain abnormalities post-COVID, and this drug may prevent respiratory and heart damage in COVID-19.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about vitamin K that could help cut heart disease risk by a third, and results showing Omega-3 fats may lower risk of irregular heart rhythm.
The study was conducted by Prof. Rainer Spanagel et al and published in the journal Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.
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