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tribune news network
doha
THE Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has warned residents of the harmful effects of smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic, in light of the preliminary and ongoing research that suggests that tobacco use could result in life-threatening complications for smokers who become infected.
Dr Mohammed Al Otaibi, senior family medicine consultant at PHCC’s Leabaib Health Center, said: “When we speak of smoking, we mean all forms of tobacco use. Many questions come to mind. Does smoking have anything to do with the spread of COVID–19? Does it have any association with the complications and the severity of the disease?”
Dr Otaibi said shisha and the process of smoking it could be a contributing factor to the spread of the disease, as sharing the tube and the oral piece of the shisha could lead to the transmission of infectious diseases. Additionally, the humidity in the shisha and the tube might provide a fertile environment for germs to stay outside the body for a longer period of time. Settings such as cafes and social gatherings where shisha is generally available and the proximity of one person to another in these environments, could also increase the danger of catching coronavirus.
If infected, a smoker’s persistent cough might contribute to the spread of the virus, while a cigarette smoker was more likely to touch their mouth with their fingers, which exposed them to risk of infection through contaminated hands.
It has been reported that 20 percent of people infected with coronavirus need to go to the hospital while 5 percent need intensive care. The disease leads to death in between one and five percent of those infected, spurring on researchers to try to pinpoint the risk factors that make some people more vulnerable to severe infection and complications than others.
Several factors have been found, the most important of which is age, as older persons are at higher risk of severe illness and death due to infection. Other risk factors include persons with cardiovascular disease; diabetes; high blood pressure; cancer; chronic lung disease; respiratory failure; kidney failure; and general immunodeficiency.
A study in China, meanwhile, found that smokers were 14 times more likely than non-smokers to develop pneumonia, and more susceptible to contracting severe diseases.
Dr Otaibi explained: “It has been proven that viral and bacterial respiratory infections in smokers are more severe than an average person and can last longer. Smokers contracting the coronavirus are also more vulnerable than non-smokers to complications that can result in death. This is due to the virus mainly attacking the lungs, which are weakened by smoking, and affected lungs can be more easily damaged.”
“Moreover, smoking weakens the immune system and leads to cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure, which are all risk factors that can cause the coronavirus to be severe and life-threatening”, Dr Otaibi added.
After quitting smoking, a person’s heart and lung functions begin to improve directly, leading to milder infection, better response and faster improvement in case of infection, as well as reducing the risk of dying from the disease.
It is necessary to raise public awareness of the health risks of smoking, according to PHCC, and to take the necessary precautions to prevent the disease from spreading if infected with the coronavirus. These preventative measures include staying at home and washing hands regularly, among other COVID-19 health guidelines.
Dr Otaibi advised smokers to take an immediate decision to quit smoking, as it was not known how long the COVID-19 pandemic would last and to what extent it would spread. He said: “The current situation could be a positive factor to quit successfully, change daily routines and avoid gatherings and places that encourage smoking.
“Once a decision is made, regardless of the circumstances, it needs determination to stay on course. You are the owner of your well-being. Make a lifestyle change - the time is right to do so”, he concluded.
doha
THE Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has warned residents of the harmful effects of smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic, in light of the preliminary and ongoing research that suggests that tobacco use could result in life-threatening complications for smokers who become infected.
Dr Mohammed Al Otaibi, senior family medicine consultant at PHCC’s Leabaib Health Center, said: “When we speak of smoking, we mean all forms of tobacco use. Many questions come to mind. Does smoking have anything to do with the spread of COVID–19? Does it have any association with the complications and the severity of the disease?”
Dr Otaibi said shisha and the process of smoking it could be a contributing factor to the spread of the disease, as sharing the tube and the oral piece of the shisha could lead to the transmission of infectious diseases. Additionally, the humidity in the shisha and the tube might provide a fertile environment for germs to stay outside the body for a longer period of time. Settings such as cafes and social gatherings where shisha is generally available and the proximity of one person to another in these environments, could also increase the danger of catching coronavirus.
If infected, a smoker’s persistent cough might contribute to the spread of the virus, while a cigarette smoker was more likely to touch their mouth with their fingers, which exposed them to risk of infection through contaminated hands.
It has been reported that 20 percent of people infected with coronavirus need to go to the hospital while 5 percent need intensive care. The disease leads to death in between one and five percent of those infected, spurring on researchers to try to pinpoint the risk factors that make some people more vulnerable to severe infection and complications than others.
Several factors have been found, the most important of which is age, as older persons are at higher risk of severe illness and death due to infection. Other risk factors include persons with cardiovascular disease; diabetes; high blood pressure; cancer; chronic lung disease; respiratory failure; kidney failure; and general immunodeficiency.
A study in China, meanwhile, found that smokers were 14 times more likely than non-smokers to develop pneumonia, and more susceptible to contracting severe diseases.
Dr Otaibi explained: “It has been proven that viral and bacterial respiratory infections in smokers are more severe than an average person and can last longer. Smokers contracting the coronavirus are also more vulnerable than non-smokers to complications that can result in death. This is due to the virus mainly attacking the lungs, which are weakened by smoking, and affected lungs can be more easily damaged.”
“Moreover, smoking weakens the immune system and leads to cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure, which are all risk factors that can cause the coronavirus to be severe and life-threatening”, Dr Otaibi added.
After quitting smoking, a person’s heart and lung functions begin to improve directly, leading to milder infection, better response and faster improvement in case of infection, as well as reducing the risk of dying from the disease.
It is necessary to raise public awareness of the health risks of smoking, according to PHCC, and to take the necessary precautions to prevent the disease from spreading if infected with the coronavirus. These preventative measures include staying at home and washing hands regularly, among other COVID-19 health guidelines.
Dr Otaibi advised smokers to take an immediate decision to quit smoking, as it was not known how long the COVID-19 pandemic would last and to what extent it would spread. He said: “The current situation could be a positive factor to quit successfully, change daily routines and avoid gatherings and places that encourage smoking.
“Once a decision is made, regardless of the circumstances, it needs determination to stay on course. You are the owner of your well-being. Make a lifestyle change - the time is right to do so”, he concluded.
