Smoking DOES increase your risk of developing Covid-19 symptoms: Study

Smoking is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 symptoms and smokers are more likely to attend hospital than non-smokers, a study has found.

By: Satata Karmakar | | Updated: January 8, 2021 9:56 am

Covid-19: Smoking DOUBLES risk of hospitalisation, study says

You all are well aware of the harmful effects of tobacco smoking – lung diseases, cancer. In this present scenario, it has been seen that if you smoke, you are at an increased risk of catching Covid-19 symptoms than non-smokers. Also Read - Beware! Coronavirus can damage your brain in many ways. Here’s what to know

According to a study, published in the journal Thorax, smokers were 29 per cent more likely to report more than five symptoms associated with Covid-19. Also Read - Covid-19 vaccination: Concerns about adverse effects ‘unfounded, negligible’, says Govt

And 50 per cent more likely to report more than ten, including loss of smell, skipping meals, diarrhoea, fatigue, confusion, or muscle pain. Also Read - Genome sequencing of sewage water can help discover new coronavirus variants: US scientists

“Our results clearly show that smokers are at increased risk of suffering from a wider range of Covid-19 symptoms than non-smokers,” said the lead researcher, Mario Falchi from the King’s College London.

How Does Smoking Increase The Risk Of Covid-19?

Tobacco use has a huge impact on respiratory health and is the most common cause of lung cancer. This may have implications for smokers given that the virus that causes Covid-19 primarily affects the respiratory system often causing mild to severe respiratory damage, which could result in fatality.

What Is The Relation Between Smoking and Covid-19?

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 possibility of transmission of the virus from hand to mouth. Here’s what triggers the effect.

– Smokers may also already have lung disease as reduced lung capacity, smokers cough (COPD) which would growths increase the seriousness of the illness.

– 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.

– Smoking is detrimental to the immune system and its responsiveness to infections making. Smokers are more vulnerable to infections.

Smokers Are Likely To Be More Vulnerable To Covid-19

For the study, the team analysed data from an app. Of the participants of the app, 11 per cent were smokers. This is a lower proportion than the overall UK population of 14.7 per cent.

While more than a third of users reported not feeling physically well during the period of study, current smokers were 14 per cent more likely to develop the classic triad of symptoms suggesting a diagnosis of Covid-19 — fever, persistent cough, and shortness of breath — compared to non-smokers.

Current smokers were also more likely to have a higher symptom burden than non-smokers.

Tobacco Has A Huge Impact On Respiratory Health

– It substantially increases the risks of Tuberculosis infection, important risk factors for developing COPD (reduces the lung capacity), important risk factors for lung cancer.

– Covid-19 primarily involves the respiratory system. Smokers are at high risk of Covid-19 related implications.

– Tobacco is an important risk factor in developing cardiovascular disease.

Coronavirus Positive Smokers More Likely To Attend Hospital

Additionally, current smokers who tested positive for Sars-CoV-2 were more than twice as likely as non-smokers to attend the hospital.

The researchers recommended that a smoking cessation strategy be included as an element to address Covid-19, as smoking increased both the likelihood of symptomatic disease and disease severity.

Reduction in smoking rates could also reduce the health system burden from other smoking-related conditions that require hospitalisation.

Published : January 8, 2021 9:56 am | Updated:January 8, 2021 9:56 am

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