A recent study released by the UK National Health Service showed a correlation between people who drink certain types of wine and their likelihood for contracting COVID-19.
The amount a person drinks per week was just as important to the research as the specific type of wine.
People who drank 14 glasses of red wine or fewer per week were 10-17% less likely to get COVID-19.
However, those who drank fewer than five glasses of white wine or Champagne per week were only 8% less likely to get the virus.
People who drank only two glasses of fortified wine per week reduced the risk by 12%.
Those who do not drink at all were more likely to get COVID-19, while people who drink up to four glasses of liquor per week had no more or less chance of getting the virus. The study added that it's important to remember that the data is just a pattern, not a direct effect of alcohol on COVID-19.
People who drank more than the UK guidelines of 14 "units" of alcohol (i.e. glass of wine) had a higher risk of getting COVID-19 than those who stayed within the guidelines.
The study showed that people who drink beer and cider had a higher risk of getting COVID-19 starting at just one drink, and 28% higher at five or more drinks per week.
The World Health Organization's guidelines for consuming alcohol (via Mayo Clinic) explains how alcohol affects your body's functions and immune system. Alcohol can cause both "short-term and long-term" damage to every organ in your body. It can also increase the chance of having acute respiratory distress syndrome, something that can also occur in severe COVID-19 cases.
Wine has often been regarded as a heart-healthy drink in moderation, but the Mayo Clinic says that people can get the same health benefits of red wine by drinking certain types of red grape juice.
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