We urge all smokers to do their best in quitting right now, in the dawn of recent news its a requirement that you shouldn't ignore.
From what we know so far Coronavirus causes serious respiratory inquiries, shortage of breath, cough and other flu-like related symptoms that can lead to severe complications and in some cases, even death.
It is highly transmittable, with a death rate that starts to get serious among the ages of 50-59, for people in between 60-69 the death rate is 4.9%, reaching almost double for people in their 70s with 9.8% and those who are 80+ the death rate is as high as 18%.
Immune function declines with age. That makes us more susceptible to more severe illness. As we age, the systems our bodies use to fight disease wear down. Not only does the body have a harder time fighting off new infections like Covid-19; it’s also more likely to be afflicted by chronic diseases that make the immune system weaker.
The immune functions might be going down rather quickly after age 75 or 80, but accumulated lung damage in older adults from habits like smoking or breathing polluted air can further increase vulnerability, so when Covid-19 strikes, it can lead to problems like severe pneumonia.
When someone's lungs are exposed to flu or other infections, the adverse effects of smoking or vaping are much more severe than among people who do not smoke.
Smoking is associated with increased development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in people creating a risk factor like severe infection at the level of the respiratory system.
Since vaping products have taken the market, and more and more people started quitting, a lot of people making the switch reported lower numbers of colds and flu infections after leaving cigarettes and beginning to vape.
What does it mean for current people that vape?
For people that already made the switch and rely on vaping as the vital thing keeping them away from smoking it's important that in the following weeks, maybe months, to be ready.
We've seen in Europe how things escalated at rapid paste, entire countries shutting down their borders in complete lock-down. Trump already put a ban on travelling to Europe, and we can't know for sure what the future holds for us all.
What about smokers?
Please do your best to quit and protect yourself as well as stop exposing your closed ones to second hand smoke. It's a a decision that remains personal, and we understand, but in these times we need to be very serious about what its in our power to prevent a catastrophe from happening in our country.
If quitting cold-turkey is not something that you can do (and we understand) please seek alternative harm reduction products. You can opt for a vaping alternative method and at least reduce the harm done by traditional smoking. Then gradually quit nicotine for good.
A great place to start is by buying a starter kit such as the Nord Starter Kit by SMOK, very easy to use and begginer friendly. As well as buying high quality eliquid.
From the early days of vaping, E-Cigarette Forum (ECF) posters discussed the possibility that propylene glycol (PG) in e-liquid might be responsible for preventing illness in vapers. But it's still being disscused, not proven yet.
What about non-smokers?
Please be safe, avoid at all costs second hand smoke be it from vaping or traditional smoking. And if any of your family members is currently smoking offer them your support in making the switch or quitting.
At the same time, measures like social distancing and quarantines remain our most effective tactics for shielding the most vulnerable during this outbreak. Keep safe, keep your lungs as healthy as possible and share this article with a friend that smokes.