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LONDON: A recent study suggested that smoking is associated with an increased risk of symptoms of Covid-19 and that smokers are more likely to go to hospital than non-smokers.
The study by researchers at King’s College London was published in Thorax. He is studying the association between smoking and the severity of Covid-19.
The researchers analyzed data from the ZOE Covid Symptom Study app. Among the app participants, 11% were smokers. This is a lower proportion than the overall UK population of 14.7 percent, but reflects demographics from the self-selected sample of the ZOE Covid Symptom Study.
While more than a third of users reported not feeling well physically during the study period (March 24 and April 2020), current smokers were 14% more likely to develop the classic triad of symptoms suggesting the 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. Smokers were 29% more likely to report more than five symptoms associated with Covid-19 and 50% more likely to report more than ten, including loss of smell, skipping meals, diarrhea, fatigue, confusion or muscle pain. A greater number of symptoms suggested a more serious Covid-19.
Additionally, current smokers who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were more than twice as likely as non-smokers to go to hospital.
The researchers recommended that a smoking cessation strategy be included as part of the fight against Covid-19, as smoking increased both the likelihood of symptomatic illness and the severity of the illness. Reducing smoking rates could also reduce the burden on the health care system from other smoking-related conditions that require hospitalization.
Dr Mario Falchi, senior researcher and senior lecturer at King’s College London, said: “Some reports suggest a protective effect of smoking on the risk of Covid-19. However, studies in this area can easily be affected by bias in sampling, participation and response. Our results clearly show that smokers are at an increased risk of suffering from a wider range of symptoms of Covid-19 than non-smokers “.
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The study by researchers at King’s College London was published in Thorax. He is studying the association between smoking and the severity of Covid-19.
The researchers analyzed data from the ZOE Covid Symptom Study app. Among the app participants, 11% were smokers. This is a lower proportion than the overall UK population of 14.7 percent, but reflects demographics from the self-selected sample of the ZOE Covid Symptom Study.
While more than a third of users reported not feeling well physically during the study period (March 24 and April 2020), current smokers were 14% more likely to develop the classic triad of symptoms suggesting the 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. Smokers were 29% more likely to report more than five symptoms associated with Covid-19 and 50% more likely to report more than ten, including loss of smell, skipping meals, diarrhea, fatigue, confusion or muscle pain. A greater number of symptoms suggested a more serious Covid-19.
Additionally, current smokers who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were more than twice as likely as non-smokers to go to hospital.
The researchers recommended that a smoking cessation strategy be included as part of the fight against Covid-19, as smoking increased both the likelihood of symptomatic illness and the severity of the illness. Reducing smoking rates could also reduce the burden on the health care system from other smoking-related conditions that require hospitalization.
Dr Mario Falchi, senior researcher and senior lecturer at King’s College London, said: “Some reports suggest a protective effect of smoking on the risk of Covid-19. However, studies in this area can easily be affected by bias in sampling, participation and response. Our results clearly show that smokers are at an increased risk of suffering from a wider range of symptoms of Covid-19 than non-smokers “.
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