COPD in Covid-19 era: Smokers, beware!

By Puja Gupta New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANSlife) With festivals and the wedding season in the offing, we might witness a significant spike in respiratory diseases. People are moving out more frequently now, which has also resulted in a rapid increase in new Covid-19 cases.
One of the more progressive lung diseases is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, commonly known as COPD. It causes airflow obstruction, impacting a person’s ability to get enough oxygen into their lungs and move it through their body, says Dr Sibasish Dey, Head, Medical Affairs, Asia and Latin America, ResMed.
“As of today, it affects 15-20 percent of the global population aged over 50 years, and there are over 65 million people that are living with moderate to severe COPD in the world as per the World Health Organisation,” he tells IANSlife.
Dr. Dey shares that combined with the rising pollution levels in various parts of the country and the ongoing pandemic, the respiratory systems of people, are under attack. However, one of the most significant triggers of COPD flare-ups in the body is smoking.
In India, smoking behaviour is varied, with Indians consuming tobacco in different forms such as cigarette, bidi, hookah, or chillum. There is enough evidence to suggest that smoking is by far the most common risk factor for the development of COPD.
An estimate says that in 10 years, 50 percent of smokers will eventually develop COPD, Dr Dey says. “As winter approaches, we see a significant drop in the AQI (Air Quality Index) in different parts of the country. This issue is aggravated double-fold due to the ongoing pandemic and unhealthy habits like tobacco consumption, including second-hand smoke. Like never before, our respiratory systems have become vulnerable, and smoking cessation is crucial to control the triggers of COPD and to live comfortably.”