Smoking and Covid-19: This is what the science says

There has been much debate about government's continued ban on the sale of vaping and tobacco products. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosana Dlamini Zuma, a qualified medical practitioner, has been vilified for her insistence that the decision was based on scientific evidence. IOL asked an expert to explain the science linking smoking to increased health risks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Smoking has a general effect of interfering with lung immunity and the various defence mechanisms the lung has to protect us.Covid-19 enters cells by attaching to the ACE2 receptor [ A common drug used world-wide to treat hypertension, ACE inhibitors, blocks this receptor, so people may be aware of ACE]. Smoking increases the number of receptors in the lung, making it easier for the virus to attach and to make people sick.

In general, smoking does not increase the RISK of getting Covid-19. However, Covid-19 is acquired by people frequently bringing their hands to their mouths/ faces. So if someone has the virus on their fingers and hands are not washed then the act of smoking will increase their risk. Secondly if people are sharing cigarettes then this is clearly highly risky as an infected person will pass to an uninfected person.

Nonsense. The evidence is clear and overwhelming that smoking prevents COVID19 & reduces severity of symptoms. By denying this fact, 'prof' Irusen is putting lives in danger. He should be prosecuted for gross negligence and stripped of academic titles

Strange I find non smokers more sickly than smokers...

Everything has been bought, media, statistics and dr's also. The system has been manipulated to benefit only the chosen few. Where can they get their 40 000 death toll, its a plan and has backtracked cause people are recovering. Wake up Mzansi, you're being played.

The results from 81 studies with many thousands of subjects tell a different story. They're linked in the thread 👇

So, you mean to say people won't share a beer or food? Spreading the rogue government's propoganda. Why did the rest of the world not see this? This is not just about health, it is about our constitutional rights!

Good informative article

kylenarsey88 And some say Hydroxychloroquine is effective against Covid19 and some say not. Looks like a lot of instability in the world of science at the moment.

If health reasons for the ban is the excuse then when are we banning sweets and junk food as Obesity has been shown as a leading factor in Covid19 deaths If we going to use health issues as the excuse behind the ban then adress all the health risks and ban them all..or none!

Man, smoking has been around centuries before the virus and everybody knows it is harmful. Why this info since lockdown? It has never been banned but NDZ did it now using the pandemic to line pockets of family business and her presidential campaign

Ok ... So most doctors will say this ... Now show us the stats ... as a percentage of the total, how many smokers have contracted the virus ... How many have been admitted to hospital ... How many are on ventilators ... How many have died ... Give us facts! I dare you!

I'm a smoker of 17 years I contracted the virus and recovered in less than a week so this is utter nonsense

Bullshit

Smoking kills either way, it killed long before the virus & it will still kill after. That pe$ in a doek DlaminiZuma obviously driving her own agenda. Let me buy my skyf and smoke it at home in peace before I punch Bheki Cele in the throat for harassing me about slips please,

Science does not always have all the answers. I'm no medical expert but does your genetic makeup not determine whether a person gets a particular disease

Covid not only affects lungs. It affects, liver and kidney failiur too, when consumed by alcohol,spirts,beer etc. Even pig. Eating that started the so called virus. Overweight is the very core of this virus. So Please think about everything above. Go on Diet and jog, and masks.

There you have it. Overweight people are going to overwhelm the hospital now.

Well that’s ONE opinion. Hardly science.

This Prof is a fucking monster: 'A smoker on a ventilator is robbing someone else of the opportunity to have their lives saved'. How can a doctor use that language about a patient suggesting that they are less worthy of saving because of LEGAL lifestyle choice? Poes.

Any other country banned smoking? They think we stupid

So then ban smoking. Why just ban the sale

Smoking kills we know that already written in ever pack. The issue is dengerous cigarretes are being sold during the ban. The government is turning a blind eye on this issue. Question is why, when they can collect needed tax.

shoooo, where is this National Coronavirus Command Council, is not a “legal” constitutional thing, Show us prove they are legal or keep quite

Gert0027 The author is a Quisling.

The point is why the ban if all smokers are still smoking.... the only difference is that criminals collect the cash and send it to Pakistan and Dubai (Valid reason why I say this). The government might as well collect the taxes. We are all going to die in any event.

What do their say?

Oh shut up. Y didn’t u include the nicotine study conducted in France

have people stopped smoking. NO. More people are going from shop to shop to find smokes, more people are sharing cigarettes than ever because its scarce also more people are moving to other hard drugs. This should be the only question.

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