According to experts, smoking impairs lung function, then reduces immunity, and makes it harder for the body to fight off various diseases.
Health experts on Sunday warned that smoking tobacco can put you at high risk of COVID-19 by affecting your body’s immunity. So, if you are a smoker then it’s high time to crush and throw it away forever.
According to experts, smoking impairs lung function, then reduces immunity, and makes it harder for the body to fight off various diseases.
Today, on World No Tobacco Day, which is observed on May 31 every year, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General said that smokers have up to a 50 percent higher risk of developing severe disease and death from COVID-19.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, tobacco use is a major risk factor for the four main Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) — cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, and diabetes.
“Smoking doesn’t increase your chances of being infected by COVID-19 since the smokers are at an equal risk of contracting the infection as a non-smoking individual. However, long-term smokers suffer often from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) a condition that causes irreversible damage to the lungs. In such patients, COVID-19 may cause severe complications and minimize the chances of complete recovery due to the existing lung damage. International studies have shown that the Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) of COVID-19 almost triples in patients with COPD as compared to healthy individuals,” said Dr. Sudeep Sarkar, Senior Consultant, Oncosurgery (Head and Neck), Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital.
Dr. Pritam Jain, Consultant Oncologist, Wockhardt Hospitals Mumbai Central explained:
Smoking increases the risk of transmission and severity of covid 19
Smoking (cigarettes, waterpipes, bidis, cigars, heated tobacco products) causes the following:
- The act of smoking involves contact of fingers (and possibly contaminated cigarettes) with the lips, which increases the possibility of transmission of viruses from hand to mouth.
- Smoking waterpipes like shisha or hookah, often involves the sharing of mouth pieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
- Smoking impairs lung function, making it more difficult for the body to fight off respiratory disease due to the new coronavirus.
- If a smoker contracts the COVID-19 virus, they suffer with a greater risk of severe infection as their lung health is already compromised and damaged.
- possible greater risk of systemic complications due to covid in a smoker patient
