This was funded (and further publicized) by the tobacco industry and has been debunked many times[1][2][3].

Let's flag it so that we don't further canonize a lie.

1. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/05/417411/smoking-nearly-doub...

2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33246296/

3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41533-021-00223-1

Smokers spend less time in closed environments. They are not always welcome in super-spreader indoor environments, and they spend less time with non-smokers than non-smokers do (most non-smokers do mind the smell of tobacco).

Also, it's not that hard to find another paper with an opposite conclusion: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7301735/

>>Conclusions: Current smoking status was associated with a lower risk of developing Covid-19 but cannot be considered as efficient protection against infection. The mechanism of the lower susceptibility of smokers to SARS-CoV-2 requires further research.

Huh , so much still to learn about human bodies and how they work .

Maybe the tar in your lung serves as good insulation?

This was visible in the very first reports out of China. I remember talking about it.