Smokers are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infection as tobacco smoking is a known risk factor for many respiratory infections and increases the severity of respiratory diseases and COVID-19 attacks on lungs. Till date, COVID-19 cases in India crossed 1.73 lakh and nearly 8,000 new cases reported in 24 last hours.
As per WHO recent opinion, smokers are more likely to develop severe disease with COVID-19, compared to non-smokers. COVID-19 is an infectious disease that primarily attacks the lungs. Smoking impairs lung function making it harder for the body to fight with coronaviruses and other diseases.
As per medical experts, tobacco smokers (cigarettes, waterpipes, bidis, cigars, heated tobacco products) may be more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, as 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, also known as hookah, often involves the sharing of mouth pieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of the COVID-19 virus in communal and social settings.
However, Tobacco is also a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes which put people with these conditions at higher risk for developing severe illness when affected by COVID-19.
‘Give up tobacco to keep corona away’
Gandhi Medical College (GMC) Pulmonologist Dr Lokendra Dave said, “Smoking make lungs weak and impairs lungs function and corona too attacks lungs so people should immediately stop smoking just to keep corona infection away. Smoking also makes case of corona positive patients, more complex as other complications develop in the positive patients if they are smokers. Secondly, chewing tobacco is also harmful as users keep on spitting here and there which is harmful as it spread infection of corona. Health department has prohibited spitting at public places in wake of corona. And district administration even slap spot fine to check spitting at public places, market etc.”
WHO’s the theme is "Protecting youth from industry manipulation and preventing them from tobacco and nicotine use" focuses on empowering young people to engage in the fight against Big Tobacco.
