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The World Health Organization has released a report analyzing the impact of cigarette smoking on the course of COVID-19 disease. What behavior does the WHO recommend?
Smoking cigarettes and the course of COVID-19
WHO is trying to answer the question regarding the relationship between smoking and the COVID-19 epidemic. As WHO rightly points out, smoking is harmful to our body, especially the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. These are systems that can be damaged during COVID-19 disease. According to studies carried out in China, where the disease comes from, people with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, which were caused, among others, by from smoking were more likely to develop severe COVID-19 symptoms.
A study of over 55 Confirmed cases also show that the death rate from COVID-19 was significantly higher in people with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer than in those without chronic disease. The study shows how existing chronic diseases can contribute to increased susceptibility to COVID-19.
Smokers are more likely to develop chronic diseases
WHO cites known links between smoking and deterioration of health. Smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer and increases the risk of tuberculosis infection. It is also a risk factor for developing chronic obstructive pneumonia. Smokers are also at higher risk of lower respiratory tract infections, and the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19 primarily affects the respiratory system, often causing mild to severe damage to the respiratory tract.
Heart disease in smokers can affect the course of COVID-19
An increased risk of serious symptoms and death from COVID-19 is also seen in patients with cardiovascular disease. According to the available data, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus belongs to the same group of coronaviruses as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, which damage the cardiovascular system.
Here we come back to cigarettes again because, according to research, passive and active smoking is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease in the world. The weaker circulatory system in COVID-19 patients who have smoked in the past can make them more prone to severe symptoms and more likely to die from infection.
WHO recommends quitting smoking. Smoking is harmful to your health, and at this particular time it may be associated with additional health problems related to COVID-19. The WHO explains that smokers may be more susceptible to contamination because they are more likely to touch their fingers to their mouth while smoking. It is also possible that quitting smoking will help them cope with their symptoms better when they become infected with SARS-CoV-2, as quitting smoking has an almost immediate positive effect on lung function and cardiovascular health.
If you haven’t had a good enough reason to quit by now, this has just appeared.
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