Coronavirus victims should quit smoking for at least a year: Health Department Officer

Coimbatore: A health department official has advised people recovering from a coronavirus infection to avoid smoking for at least a year.

A health official said the "Coronavirus virus causes inflammation in lungs. Thus the lungs lose their spongy nature and become slightly harder. Due to this the contractility of the lungs is affected. Therefore, those who have recovered from an infection that affects the lungs should not smoke as excessive smoking can further increase lung damage. Those who have been diagnosed without symptoms should not be indifferent as their lungs will also be affected. So those affected with coronavirus should quit smoking for at least a year. People over the age of 50 were most affected during the first wave of coronavirus.

But the second wave affected even 25-year-olds causing suffocation. Similarly during the first wave the oxygen level in the body of affected people was below 95. But for many in this second wave the oxygen level went below 90. So the oxygen level in everyone's body was checked using a pulse oximeter. Everyone should be safe on the third wave. Wearing a mask is mandatory."