Smoking and COVID 19: Analysing this controversy in a Brazilian COVID-19 Reference Centre

Authors

  • Thiago P. Bartholo Departamento de Pneumologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
  • Luís C. Pôrto Departamento de Histologia e Embriologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
  • Claudia H. Costa Departamento de Pneumologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
  • Agnaldo José Lopes Departamento de Pneumologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
  • Nadja P. Graça Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
  • Fernanda O. Chibante Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
  • Elizabeth J. C. Bessa Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
  • Alessandra S. Nunes Departamento de Enfermagem, Policlínica Piquet Carneiro, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
  • Rogério R. Rufino Departamento de Pneumologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12957/bjhbs.2021.63961

Keywords:

COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Smoking, Risk factor.

Abstract

Introduction: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is extremely
important to determine the risk factors that define
patients who are more susceptible to the severe form of
the disease; however, the observation of supposedly protective
factors is also of great relevance. Smoking has been
the subject of controversy as to whether it is a protective
factor or a risk factor for COVID-19. Objective: To assess
how smokers behave within the context of the COVID-19
pandemic. Patients and methods: The participants in this
study were a spontaneously recruited sample from the Rio
de Janeiro State University COVID-19 Reference Centre,
between March and May 2020. All patients underwent
clinical, laboratory, and nasal swabs for the Sars-Cov-2 PCR
investigation. Whenever it was the necessary case, patients
were referred to hospitalization. Results: A total of 4,636
patients with suggestive symptoms of COVID were evaluated.
There was 230 (4.9%) smokers in this group; there is
a 10.3% smoking prevalence in the state of Rio de Janeiro
as described in 2018. A number of 2,246 patients (48.6% of
the total sample) were diagnosed with COVID-19, only 82
of these (3.7% of the total positive COVID) were smokers.
Only 1 (0.01%) of the smokers with COVID-19 needed
hospitalization. As far as the assessed symptoms, smokers
showed fewer symptoms during the disease. Conclusion:
The study suggests that smokers have fewer symptoms
(mild or asymptomatic symptoms) and that there is a need
to expand specific testing for that group.

Author Biographies

Thiago P. Bartholo, Departamento de Pneumologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Departamento de Pneumologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas,
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ,
Brasil.

Luís C. Pôrto, Departamento de Histologia e Embriologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Departamento de Histologia e Embriologia, Instituto de Biologia
Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de
Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Claudia H. Costa, Departamento de Pneumologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Departamento de Pneumologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas,
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ,
Brasil.

Agnaldo José Lopes, Departamento de Pneumologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Departamento de Pneumologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas,
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ,
Brasil.

Nadja P. Graça, Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto,
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Fernanda O. Chibante, Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto,
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Elizabeth J. C. Bessa, Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto,
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Alessandra S. Nunes, Departamento de Enfermagem, Policlínica Piquet Carneiro, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Departamento de Enfermagem, Policlínica Piquet Carneiro,
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Rogério R. Rufino, Departamento de Pneumologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universi

Departamento de Pneumologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas,
Universi

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Published

2022-03-04

How to Cite

Bartholo, T. P., Pôrto, L. C., Costa, C. H., Lopes, A. J., Graça, N. P., Chibante, F. O., … Rufino, R. R. (2022). Smoking and COVID 19: Analysing this controversy in a Brazilian COVID-19 Reference Centre. Brazilian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences, 20(2), 105–108. https://doi.org/10.12957/bjhbs.2021.63961

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 2 (2021)

Section

Original Papers

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