A new study investigating correlations between smoking, COVID-19, and a type of lung disease called COPD has found that current smokers are at a higher risk of dying from COVID-19 than non-smokers.
The study, published Monday in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, is the first to specifically investigate the risks posed to COVID-19 patients with a history of COPD.
COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and is “a common, persistent dysfunction of the lung associated with a limitation in airflow,” according to a press release about the study.
The disease is complicated, and is predominantly caused by “exposure to noxious gases and particulates over a long period,” the study explained. There were 251 million cases of COPD in 2016, and it is exacerbated by numerous things, including smoking.
“Viral infection remains the main trigger” for COPD, the study said.
This new study wanted to investigate how a history of COPD — or a history of smoking — correlated with COVID-19 patients.
Alexandra Mae Jones – CTV News – May 11, 2020.
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