Smoking, Vaping Worsens Effects of COVID-19
The prevalence of smoking and vaping was a public health issue before COVID-19, but the spread of the respiratory illness has brought new attention on it.
Many people in vulnerable populations are seeing complications with COVID-19 due to pre-existing conditions, including whether the patient is a smoker or not.
“There is growing consensus among health experts that smoking and vaping can worsen these effects.” — Dr. Patrice Harris, American Medical Association
Dr. Patrice Harris is President of the American Medical Association. He says smoking and vaping are public health threats that intensified during the pandemic.
“We are appropriately focused on this COVID-19 pandemic but we can not forget about the risks to health that were in existence before COVID-19. There is growing consensus among health experts that smoking and vaping can worsen these effects,” says Harris.
He says some measures are proven to protect against viral transmission.
“And I know it’s something new to ask people to wear a face mask and its something new to avoid large gatherings and it only go out when we need to, but I want people to view that not as an infringement on their rights but really as an opportunity to show how we can all take individual action to make collective impacts.”
Click on the player above to hear Dr. Patrice Harris on the risks of smoking and vaping during COVID-19.
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