Smokers are more vulnerable to
Coronavirus/Covid-19

Coronavirus Pandemic – Are smokers more exposed to COVID-19

stop-smoking SIMS Hospital
The global health body has warned about sharing of mouthpieces like vapes or cigarettes can transmit corona virus.

Corona virus outbreak has threatened everyone globally and it reveals the severity in the form of respiratory illness with cold and fever. Lockdown has been announced in India to prevent community spread of the disease in social gatherings or public places. Many people don’t even get any symptoms until the virus completely infects the respiratory system. People with less immunity are highly vulnerable to Corona infection.

The World Health Organization has agreed that smokers are more prone to the COVID-19 infection. The people who smoke regularly may already have affected lungs and this would greatly increase the chances of the vulnerability of corona.

Smoking increases the development of ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) with severe infection, trauma or blood infection. Corona Virus infections become very complicated to people who smoke as they have high provocative markers as announced by Dr. Adarsh, Resident Doctor’s Association, AIIMS (All India Institutes of Medical Sciences). Depending on the frequency and degree of a person’s smoking habit, the alveolar cells (exchanges oxygen from lungs to different parts of the body) are infected or damaged.

Smokers tend to get affected by Coronavirus easily and have less chances for recovery compared to healthy people as a smoking habit reduces the immunity. European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has also mentioned that smokers are at higher risk to COVID-19

SIMS advises the smokers to QUIT SMOKING and reduce the risk of respiratory illness caused by COVID-19.