By: Nyima Sillah
Research has revealed that a handful number of people smoke tobacco during the coronavirus lockdown than before.
This was disclosed by Seyfo Singhateh, a Senior Program Officer Non-Communicable unit of Tobacco Control Program, during a press briefing held on Thursday.
Speaking at the organized press briefing, Seyfo Singhateh said: “symptoms are more severe in smokers than none smokers because of their weak immune system and when they contract the virus, they can suffer from the severest form of symptoms.”
To him, from March up to this present time the smoking patterns of smokers have increased. Evidence shows that smokers are more vulnerable to Covid-19 and researches was conducted in different parts of the world and it all shows that smokers are more vulnerable to Covid-19 because they have weakened immune systems.
Sanna Sambou, program manager of disease control, said: “Covid-19 is still around and one of the people Covid-19 affects most is the people with health problems and the key among those problems are emanating from Tobacco.”
He said Covid-19 attacks people whose immune systems are affected therefore it exposes them to many other risks and many other health factors.
“As health workers, we are more concerned with disease and the welfare of people. Our job is to ensure that people enjoy maximum health and I think that should be the concern of everybody specially smoking is beyond the corridor of the Ministry,” he added.
However, he said the immune systems of tobacco smokers are sometimes retrofire harmful diseases such as Covid-19 and other respiratory disorders, and therefore urged journalists to help disseminate information in their respective media institutions.
Fatou Darboe of School Health and Nutrition unit added that engaging journalists will significantly promote the fight against Covid-19, while she promised her office collaboration with media to improve the health status of Gambian people.
