Our pilot data suggest that cigarette smoke or nicotine inhalation inhibits the expression of ACE2/AT2R in multiple organs including the brain, heart and lungs, thus disrupting the balance within the RAS.
https://grantome.com/grant/NIH/R01-HL135635-02
So if COVID 19 binds to ACE2 receptors and nicotine inhibits ACE2 expression, then...?