Smoking instrumental in lethal COVID-19 disease

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) which has so far claimed 582,137 lives out of 13,496,487 cases worldwide as of 12:48 GMT of July 15 (Wednesday), is a way by which smokers may stub their habit.

Dubai Health Authority-Public Health Protection Department director Dr. Badreyya Al Harmi said in an email interview: “This may be the time for them to quit, to sign up to a recognised smoking cessation programme by talking to a healthcare provider.”

Al Harmi believes that a tobacco-free future lies on empowering the youth to dissociate or disconnect themselves from all forms of tobacco and similar products. She was asked among others too, on whether cigarette/sisha/vape addiction would and could be overcome.

Her answer: “Yes, of course. With the commitment of the individual and well-designed treatment programmes, (he/she) can overcome this behavioral habit.”

She said smoking cessation programmes built around international guidelines and protocols are available and accessible through “specialised clinics in the primary healthcare sector.”

Correlating the lethal upper respiratory COVID-19 disease with smoking, Al Harmi cited the April 29, 2020 World Health Organisation statement borne out of the extensive review of voluminous studies and documents by public health experts and scientists-the reason for her encouragement for smokers to yield.

“COVID-19 is an infectious disease that primarily attacks the lungs. Smoking impairs lung function making it harder for the body to fight off coronaviruses and other diseases. Tobacco is also a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases like cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes which put people in these conditions at higher risk for developing severe illness when affected by COVID-19. Available research suggests that smokers are at a higher risk of developing severe diseases and death.”

In a separate interview, Saint George Hospital University Medical Center (Lebanon) specialist endocrinologist Dr. Paola Atallah said: “A patient living with diabetes is immunocompromised (having weakened immune system), which makes him more exposed to inflammation. In case he is affected by COVID-19, he is most likely to spend more time at the hospital and in intensive care but not necessarily die.”

Al Harmi is in the field of public health because “it is about helping others; it deals with the protection, prevention and community health; it also links the local health situation with the global one.”