The results showed that smoking is associated with developing Covid-19 symptoms and with high infection and severity rates in adults. Moreover, participants with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer were at higher risk for developing Covid-19.
The research team has concluded that there is an association between smoking and Covid-19 symptoms; however, there should be more investigations done for the proper management of Covid-19 in smokers and mechanism of this association.
QU College of Medicine professor of Basic Medical Sciences Dr Ala-Eddin al Moustafa, the senior and corresponding author of the investigation, commented: “Exploring the compounding effect of smoking on Covid-19 patients is a continuation of one of the key focus areas of our lab that investigates the detrimental effects of smoking in general, and water pipe smoking in particular, on cancer and pregnancy. I am particularly proud of this work since it highlights the efforts of our undergraduate students at the College of Medicine, whereby they explore the important field of medical research and announce their findings worldwide via peer-reviewed publications.”
QU College of Medicine student Mohammad Haider, the first author of this publication, added: "I am happy that I had the chance to explore such concepts and publish them during my studies, which is a unique experience that is not normally available for undergraduate students. Based on our findings, it is clear that smoking is a serious public health concern that should be addressed in order to minimise its effects on various aspects of our health, including Covid-19 infection.”
