Vaping and Smoking Can put you at Higher Risk for COVID-19

According to the Indiana State Department of Health, over 25% of adults in Indiana either smoke or vape.

With COVID-19 being a respiratory disease, smoking or vaping can put you at a higher risk of getting it, or having worse symptoms if you got it.

25 % of over 25 % of adults in indiana either smoke or vape.

That's according to the indiana state department of health.

With covid-19 being a respiratory disease... smoking or vaping can put you at a higher risk..... or have worse symptoms if you got it.

News 10's dominic miranda spoke with a respiratory therapy manager at union hospital.

He joins us now with more on why now's the time to quit.

Pk} dominic miranda dominic.miranda@wthitv.com <mailto:dominic.miranda@wth... om people around the nation are doing everything they can to protect themselves against the coronavirus.

Putting down the cigarette or vape could be a big part in doing that.

I spoke with union hospital respiratory therapy manager jimmy mckanna.

He told me how smoking or vaping can make your life more difficult if you get covid-19.

First of all... with cigarettes or vapes, you are coming in close contact with your mouth....something you should avoid doing during this pandemic.

Your body is made to fight viruses.

The mucus that makes up your airwaves protects you from bacteria viruses.

Smoking or vaping makes that mucus sticky... and it cannot do it's job for you.

Mckanna told me that this is especially important with covid-19 being a respiratory disease.

When you smoke or vape, you don't fight these viruses as well, and if you were to get the coronavirus... you'd have more trouble getting healthy.

Jimmy mckanna respiratory therapy manager, union hospital "people that smoke and even that vape.....it seems like they have more difficulty with viruses and pneumonia's and things like that because they have just over time paralyzed their natural system."

Dominic miranda dominic.miranda@wthitv.com mailto:dominic.miranda@wthi... m the last thing mckanna told me was 99% of the people he talks to quit smoking cold turkey.

So with your day to day routines or smoking routines being messed up because of this pandemic, what better time to stop... and help yourself in more ways than one.

In terre haute....dominic miranda.... news 10> i'll have your full