Lung Physician: Smokers Are Twice Greater Risk Of Getting COVID-19

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JAKARTA - Pulmonologists say smokers have two times the risk of contracting COVID-19 compared to non-smokers.

"One of the reasons is because there are more receptors," said the pulmonary specialist from the Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia (FKUI) - Friendship Central General Hospital (RSUP) dr. Feni Fitriani Taufik, Sp.P (K) in a joint press conference with the Task Force for Handling COVID-19 at Graha BNPB, Jakarta, reported by Antara, Friday, August 28.

He said, despite the current COVID-19 pandemic, cigarette smoke itself has had many impacts on human health, both short-term and long-term impacts.

The short-term impact, cigarette smoke can reduce immune cells and defense cells in the airway so that the airway is susceptible to irritation and is easy for germs to enter so that it is easy to become infected and cause symptoms such as ARI and recurring coughs.

Meanwhile, the long-term effects of cigarette smoke can cause addiction problems that are difficult to stop and health impacts such as cancer, hypertension, stroke, heart disease and others.

Then, related to the current COVID-19 pandemic, he said that cigarette smoke actually creates a greater vulnerability for smokers to the possibility of being infected with this dangerous disease.

"Cigarettes are related to COVID-19, in terms of airway immunity it has been compromised. Then there is another study that states that ACE2 receptors, which are normal receptors in our bodies and in higher numbers in smokers, turn out that this receptor is one of the places where the virus attaches. COVID-19, "said Feni.

"This means that people who smoke, compared to people who don't smoke, have more ACE2 receptors, which means they provide more space for the COVID-19 virus to enter their bodies," he said further.

This means that people who are accustomed to smoking will automatically multiply the ACE2 receptors in their bodies, increasing their chances of contracting COVID-19 because these receptors are one of the places where the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of COVID-19, attaches.

For this reason, he hopes that all people will make this pandemic a moment to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking and start quitting smoking in order to avoid a greater risk of contracting COVID-19.