The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Local
    • Palmdale
    • Lancaster
    • Los Angeles County
    • Littlerock
    • Lake Los Angeles
    • Rosamond
    • Edwards AFB
    • Acton
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Advertise
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Show Search

Researchers: Smokers could have increased risk if they get coronavirus

by The AV Times Staff • September 1, 2020

LOS ANGELES – Researchers at Cedars-Sinai warned Tuesday that smokers could have an increased risk for being hospitalized or placed on a ventilator if they contract coronavirus.

“Smokers often have serious heart and lung health problems already. Add COVID-19 to the mix and you are likely to get a very sick patient. They just don’t have the physiological reserves to deal with the massive inflammatory attack brought on by the coronavirus,” said Dr. Joseph E. Ebinger, a cardiologist with the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai.

“If getting through COVID-19 is like running a 100-meter dash, smokers are having to carry sandbags with them while trying to finish the race,” he said.

Dr. Zab Mosenifar, a pulmonologist and the Geri and Richard Brawerman Chair in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, noted that the virus that causes COVID-19 could get into the lungs and might normally be destroyed by the protective epithelial cells.

“But in people who smoke, the virus may be able to latch on to all those extra ACE2 receptors often found in smokers. This allows the virus to overwhelm and destroy healthy lung cells and then multiply quickly inside the patient,” Mosenifar said in advising smokers that it may be the right time for them to quit.

Ndinda Domingos, a clinical pharmacist and smoking cessation expert at Cedars-Sinai, urged smokers who want to quit to work on tapering their smoking and vaping and to set a “quit date.”

“During the current pandemic, the barrier to quitting for most of my patients has been the added stress, anxiety and uncertainty that is relieved by smoking or vaping,” Domingos said. “The long-term effects of smoking and vaping can be more detrimental now since smoking compromises the immune system, leaving smokers more vulnerable to serious complications if they get an infection.”

–

Filed Under: Health, Home, Los Angeles County

Recent Comments

  • Lina on Lancaster man arrested in attack on woman in Hollywood: “Well this happens when they dont get raised right by their parents he is a looser for even hitting a…” Aug 8, 11:51
  • Tim Scott on Readers Speak Out! (July 2022): “When Trump calls on his faithful to become active domestic terrorists our community is not going to be immune to…” Aug 8, 11:50
  • Tim Scott on DPSS launches campaign to encourage residents to apply for benefits: “LOL…it’s always funny when someone says “where do you think those funds came from” and then demonstrates that they themselves…” Aug 8, 11:47
  • Tim Scott on Readers Speak Out! (July 2022): “LOL…go ahead Beecee, demonstrate that you are a bigot…it’s been several posts since you chose someone at random to throw…” Aug 8, 11:45
  • Tim Scott on Readers Speak Out! (July 2022): “LOL…anyone else notice the gross conceptual error here? I’ll explain for the slow witted. I read a lot, and I’m…” Aug 8, 11:43

Copyright © 2022 · The AV Times LLC. All rights reserved. Terms of Use