According to a study conducted by researchers at China’s Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, sipping on a glass of red wine may reduce the risk of contracting Covid-19 compared to non-drinkers. This study included drinking habits of 473,957 individuals (16,559 Covid-19 positive individuals), and took into account different drinking habits throughout the pandemic.
Those who consumed 5 or more glasses of red wine per week had 17% reduced risk of contracting the virus, the researchers believe that the presence of polyphenols in the drink plays an important protective role. Besides red wine, white wine and champagne were also found to possibly reduce the risk of contracting Covid-19 as well, drinking 1 to 4 glasses could reduce the infection risk by 8%.
Although, the study also indicated that not all alcoholic beverages will offer the same protective properties against Covid-19. Those who drank beer or cider were found to have 28% higher risk of getting Covid-19 than non-drinkers.
However, it should be noted that the data provided by the study should be taken with a pinch of salt, as researchers and scientists are still trying to understand characteristics of the virus.