Eating with secondhand smoke around you is not great. But are there COVID-19 risks? | Health

MIAMI — Sit outdoors in a Miami Beach cafe and be ready to beat the waffles. Then a cloud of cigarette smoke is drifting from a socially remote table next to you.

The plume goes directly into the maskless nostril.

Anything that appears to be inflamed in the branch and potentially burn asthma poses a medical problem.

Is Secondhand Smoking a COVID-19 Risk?

There are no official studies yet, but health experts say it is possible.

When we’re more outside, and of course, eating without a mask, it’s a question that needs some research and explanation.

Doctors learned a lot about COVID-19. It spreads primarily through small droplets from the nose and mouth. Illness generally affects the lungs.

Exhaling smoke from a cigarette or e-cigarette causes water droplets to be released into the air, much like when you are coughing, sneezing, or speaking. If smokers have COVID-19, “smoking tobacco can also spread COVID-19,” the World Health Organization said in an email to Miami Herald.

Hypothesis being investigated by the WHO team in Geneva. According to a spokeswoman, the team is evaluating evidence from the latest meta-analysis, including secondhand smoke, on possible links between tobacco, e-cigarette use and COVID-19.

Cigars are also released into the air when you smoke or smoke a cigar or hookah. So if you’re so close that it smells like smoke, you might also be inhaling droplets.

Can COVID-19 be caught from secondhand smoke?

There is still no “direct evidence” that secondhand smoke can transmit COVID-19, but a summary of all the data about what is known about the virus and how it works is “quite compelling. There is a risk.” The risk exists, said Dr. Mark Brock of Memorial Healthcare Systems. He is responsible for thoracic surgery at the Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood and is a member of the Regional Board of the American Lung Association in Florida.

Health officials also believe that the longer they are exposed to the virus, the more likely they are to get sick. This means that the risk of catching COVID-19 from symptomatic or asymptomatic smokers may depend on how long you are sniffing their smoke, Brock said.

“When you’re outdoors, passing by someone, or passing someone by you, you’re likely to have a very limited amount of time you are exposed to the aerosol, so perhaps a serious risk of getting infected. It’s not a factor,” Brock said. “Since we are eating out, we may sit downwind of a person who smokes and smell the smoke of cigarettes. I don’t want to stay in that environment for a long time.”

Still, experts say that it’s safer to stay socially separated (at least 6 feet away from others) than to pack it indoors with others, even at risk. Says.

Miami Dade County’s “New Normal” guidelines have two rules for smoking and degassing during a pandemic. One is that you can take off your mask and inhale smoke and vapors. The second is that people cannot share the cigarettes, arc pens, hookah devices, and other smoking devices used to vaporize and smoke in restaurants.

County guidelines do not make clear if smoking is prohibited while people eat outdoors. From July, restaurant guests will only be able to dine outdoors at Miami Dade and will continue to eat until August 31 when indoor dining is again permitted.

So was secondhand smoke a dietary issue?

Some restaurant owners say they have found that even when the restaurant is outside, guests are happy to just sit down at the restaurant so second-hand smoke isn’t an issue.

“People may look bad to each other, but customers give us a pass,” said Carlos Gazitur, owner of the Cuban restaurant in Sergio.

Other owners say they haven’t taken any chance of an explosion among the diner.

With four restaurants in the Miami area, Matt Kusher also bans smoking outdoors. He always favors non-smokers when there is disagreement between customers — he said that he learned as a young restaurant owner to choose a family over a single smoker. is.

“We always make mistakes on the side of non-smoking environments,” Kusher said. “We usually ask for smoking cessation. We only allow smoking if there is only one person on the patio.”

Smoking and secondhand smoke are always fatal and can cause serious long-term health problems such as lung cancer.

According to health authorities, COVID-19 is an additional risk of having a very rapid health effect, with symptoms usually appearing 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Most people recover from COVID-19, but some are more severe and need to be hospitalized. Others die of COVID-19-related complications.

Are smokers at increased risk of contracting COVID-19?

“Sometimes smokers don’t feel they need to quit…. Now they have an additional reason to quit. Using COVID not only puts you at greater risk of being yourself, It puts people at greater risk.

Current and former smokers are also at risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 because smoking damages the lungs and makes it harder for the body to fight coronaviruses and other diseases, according to the WHO and Center for Disease Control and Prevention May be high. According to the WHO, vapor can be at an increased risk of getting sick.

According to Brock, smokers and smokers cannot wear masks while enjoying a cigarette, and they are constantly touching their mouths. Masks that cover the mouth and nose are to prevent others from getting sick with the new coronavirus.

“The best way to quit smoking is to motivate and cool the turkey, and this is indeed the motivation to chill the turkey, so this is a great opportunity to actually quit,” Brock says. It was. I get sick and get sick, but to protect the people around me. “

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How to help someone quit smoking or vaping

1. Discuss smoking cessation and have them understand how difficult it is to quit.

2. Help them plan. This includes setting “end date” and cleaning the house (curtains, sofas, clothing, rugs, etc.) to eliminate the smell of smoke.

3. Brock discards all cigarettes and e-cigarettes and places candies and chewing gum around the house. Whenever you want to smoke, you can chew gum or candy instead.

4. Display support.