Experts of the World Health Organisation and Paris-based International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union) have urged people be cautious against any ‘unproven claims’ related to tobacco use during this time of crisis due to Covid-19 pandemic.
“A review studies by public health experts convened by WHO on April 29 found that smokers are more likely to develop severe diseases with Covid-19, compared to non-smokers,” said Dr Vinayak Prasad, Head of Tobacco Free Initiative of WHO.
Still, he said, some ‘non-peer-reviewed studies’ have claimed that smoking or nicotine may protect against Covid-19.
“People should exercise caution in amplifying unproven claims,” he said when Bangladesh Post drew his attention at a webinar about the recent article in the Economist magazine suggesting that smokers are less likely to develop Covid-19.
“There is currently insufficient information to confirm any link between tobacco or nicotine in the prevention or treatment of Covid-19,” he said.
“WHO is constantly evaluating new research, including research that examines the link between tobacco use, nicotine use and Covid-19,” he said while warning people about believing any unproven claims.
Tara Singh Bam, The Union’s Asia Pacific deputy director in Singapore, termed tobacco and Covid-19 ‘deadly partners’.
“Tobacco kills over 8 million people every year globally, out of which 2.3 million deaths occur in the Asia Pacific region,” Tara said giving details of the region which home to about 600 million tobacco smokers and had been the prime target of multinational tobacco companies.
“More concerning is that this region has the world’s highest tobacco use rates, and two-thirds of all men use tobacco. About 67 million people and 63 percent of adult males smoke in Indonesia, which sees more than 225,700 people die every year from tobacco-related diseases,” added Tara.
Covid-19 disease primary attacks the lungs and smoking impairs lung function. Tobacco smoking is a known as the risk factors for many respiratory infections, and increases the severity of respiratory diseases.
WHO said 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 the possibility of transmission of virus from hand to mouth.
Smokers may also already have lung disease or reduced lung capacity which would greatly increase risk of serious illness.
Smoking products such as water pipes often involve the sharing of mouth pieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of COVID-19 in communal and social settings, according to WHO.
“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.”
Shameem Haider Patwary, Member of Parliament of Bangladesh, said in Bangladesh about 37.8 million people are using tobacco in different format whose age are 15 years and above.
Giving any analysis of the present coronavirus situation in Bangladesh, he said young people are the most affected by the disease in the country.
Evidence has already emerged from those countries hardest hit with the virus.
Studies from China show that the odds of progression toward serious illness were 14 times higher among people with a history of smoking compared to those who did not smoke and experience worse outcomes as compared to non-smokers.
In a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, smokers were 2.4 times more likely to have severe symptoms from COVID-19 compared to those who did not smoke.
It suggests that tobacco use is associated with a poor evolution/poor prognosis of COVID-19 and more serious results, including admission to intensive care units, use of mechanical ventilation, and death.
Scientists at The Union have strongly urged countries to prioritize and implement proven, evidence-based policies from the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
“This is the absolute best time to quit smoking,” said Gan Quan, director of tobacco control at The Union.
“Countries have a moral imperative to advise their citizens of this urgent fact and facilitate massive cessation efforts,” added Quan.
“The industry is capitalizing on the crisis to improve its public relations by offering donations and partnerships to governments,” Quan said.
At the same time, tobacco companies continue to aggressively market their products, which — in addition to causing 8 million deaths every year — are exacerbating the COVID-19 crisis.
“With mounting evidence that smokers are at higher risk of severe illness from this disease, the best thing the tobacco industry can do to help countries fight COVID-19 is to immediately stop producing, marketing and selling tobacco,” said Quan.
Shobha Shukla of CNS India, moderated the webinar styled "APCAT Webinar – Government accountability in responding to COVID-19, NCDs and tobacco use".
Bima Arya Sugiarto, Mayor, Bogor City, Indonesia and Co-chair of APCAT, which is Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Tobacco Control and NCDs Prevention, also joined this virtual interview.
