COVID-19 – Smoking Cessation

Posted on:

The Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine COVID-19 Service has published a briefing on Smoking in Acute Respiratory Infections – with detailed analysis covering these important points:

Does smoking increase the risk of acute respiratory infections? Verdict Yes

If you quit smoking during a respiratory infection is your outcome better? Verdict Yes

Will quitting smoking now help reduce risks? Verdict Yes

Are there ways to increase the success of smoking cessation attempts in the current circumstances? Verdict Yes

The article concludes with the following: …..under the current circumstances it may be sensible to try and reduce to quit over a short period. It is safe to use nicotine replacement therapy during this period and evidence suggests that using a fast-acting form (e.g. gum or lozenges) to replace cigarettes whilst reducing can increase the chances of success.