WHO警告烟草使用增加新冠重症风险

世界卫生组织发表声明，强调烟草对全球公共卫生的严重威胁。1根据WHO的数据，烟草每年导致全球800多万人死亡，其中700多万人死于直接烟草使用，约120万人死于二手烟暴露。1吸烟是已知的多种呼吸道感染风险因素，WHO于2020年4月29日进行的研究审查发现，吸烟者比不吸烟者更容易患严重COVID-19。1

WHO特别警告研究人员和媒体，不应夸大烟草或尼古丁预防新冠的未经证实说法。1该组织指出，"目前缺乏充分信息确认烟草或尼古丁与COVID-19预防或治疗之间的任何联系"。1与此同时，WHO强调戒烟带来的健康益处迅速可见：戒烟后20分钟内心率和血压下降，12小时后血液中一氧化碳水平恢复正常，2至12周内循环和肺功能明显改善。1

The World Health Organization released a statement on April 29, 2020, addressing the relationship between tobacco consumption and coronavirus disease, emphasizing the heightened health risks for smokers during the pandemic 1. Tobacco use causes over 8 million deaths globally each year, with more than 7 million deaths resulting from direct tobacco use and approximately 1.2 million from exposure to secondhand smoke 1. The organization stressed that smoking is a known risk factor for severe respiratory infections, and smokers face a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 compared to non-smokers 1.

The organization also cautioned researchers and media outlets against promoting unsubstantiated claims regarding tobacco or nicotine as preventive measures against COVID-19 1. According to WHO, there is currently insufficient evidence to support any connection between tobacco or nicotine and COVID-19 prevention or treatment 1. The statement highlighted the benefits of smoking cessation: heart rate and blood pressure decrease within 20 minutes of quitting, blood carbon monoxide levels return to normal within 12 hours, and circulation improves with lung function increasing over 2 to 12 weeks 1.