The people dropping dead in the streets, like we saw so much of in Wuhan (smoking population ~50%)-- those are the smokers. Smoking opens up more ACE2 receptors which is like opening more lanes for COVID traffic.
To the virus, the ACE2 sites are just a recognizable external feature to latch onto. The clogged sites might be less of a liability than the unclogged sites, but having more overall makes your cells way more virus-friendly.
The people dropping dead in the streets, like we saw so much of in Wuhan (smoking population ~50%)-- those are the smokers. Smoking opens up more ACE2 receptors which is like opening more lanes for COVID traffic.