Studies have shown that smoking Increases the risk of contracting COVID-19 exponentially as it opens the gateway for infection.
According to a report on Bloomberg, smoking elevates the enzymes that help the Coronavirus infect the lungs of an individual.
The report further revealed that smokers and individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are most likely to have elevated levels of an enzyme called ACE-2.
This enzyme assists the Coronavirus in infection and replication within the lungs.
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The report quoted data from the European Respiratory Journal which showed that chronic illness like obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure are contributory factors to the global spread of COVID-19.
A research led by Dr. Janice Leung used data from China and determined that smokers are more exposed to the effects of the virus.
Samples were taken from the lungs of 21 individuals suffering from COPD and 21 other individuals without COPD.
It was discovered that the lungs of COPD patients and active smokers without COPD contained higher levels of ACE-2.
The research further cross-referenced its findings with two existing study groups with more test subjects and arrived at the same end result.