While hand sanitizers containing ethyl alcohol help destroy the coronavirus on surfaces, drinking alcohol does not prevent or treat coronavirus infection.
But a recent study suggests that wine and champagne may actually protect you from catching Covid.
The research was conducted by researchers from Shenzhen Kangning Hospital in China. They analyzed data from the British database UK Biobank.
But before you start inviting friends to a party, you need to be cautious about these findings
The research said that drinking between one to four glasses of red wine a week was linked with an approximate 10% reduction in the risk of getting COVID. Drinking five or more glasses of red wine a week was linked with a 17% reduced risk.
In contrast, drinking the same amount of wine and champagne was linked with a 7–8% reduced risk.
The researchers say that one possible explanation for their findings is that alcoholic beverages contain varying amounts of chemicals called polyphenols. Red wine has the highest concentration of polyphenols. This chemical can reduce blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and could potentially protect from catching Covid.
The key takeaway of this research is that alcohol has nothing to do with COVID-19 protection
Aaron Glatt, MD, chairman, and professor of the department of medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Hewlett, New York said “I get extremely nervous whenever I read something about positive things about alcohol.
“If we make any recommendations for people to specifically increase their alcohol intake, you better have airtight evidence that’s the benefit.”
