You have been planning to quit smoking for a long time? If yes, then there’s no time like the present pandemic.
A survey from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began, which found smokers who developed COVID-19 were 14 times more likely to develop severe disease.
Survey revealed that that people who have cardiovascular and respiratory conditions caused by tobacco use, or otherwise, were at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms. Research on 55,924 laboratory confirmed cases in China shows that the crude fatality ratio for COVID-19 patients is much higher among those with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, chronic respiratory disease or cancer than those with no pre-existing chronic medical conditions. This demonstrates that these pre-existing conditions may contribute to increasing the susceptibility of such individuals to Covid-19.
As well as smoking, the study found age, maximum body temperature on admission and respiratory failure were among other significant factors.
The study took place between 30 December last year and 15 January 2020 and was published in the Chinese Medical Journal.
The World Health Organisation and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention also warned smoking can expose people to serious complications from COVID-19.
According to WHO, smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 as the act of smoking means that fingers (and possibly contaminated cigarettes) are in contact with lips which increases the possibility of transmission of virus from hand to mouth. Smokers may also already have lung disease or reduced lung capacity which would greatly increase risk of serious illness.
Smoking products such as water pipes often involve the sharing of mouth pieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of COVID-19 in communal and social settings.
Conditions that increase oxygen needs or reduce the ability of the body to use it properly will put patients at higher risk of serious lung conditions such as pneumonia.
In its updated assessment of the risks caused by the coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2, the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) included smokers among those potentially most vulnerable to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
It also said data from China showed 80% of people infected with the disease had only mild symptoms, but in Europe that percentage dropped to 70%, as three in every 10 cases have required hospitalisation.
Patients above 70 years of age and people with underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes or cardiovascular disease are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19. Men are more vulnerable than women, the EU body said in its report.
Smokers have also appeared to be more susceptible to breathing complications caused by the disease, and the ECDC said it was advisable to identify them as a potential vulnerable group, confirming an earlier assessment.
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