Coronavirus: Smokers found to be worse affected by disease as Britons urged to put down cigarettes

Health agency cites study which says smokers with virus 14 times more likely to have it severely

PHE encourages smokers to give up as they are more at risk from coronavirus (REUTERS)

Smokers are more likely to develop severe coronavirus symptoms if they contract the disease, Public Health England (PHE) has said.

Professor John Newton, Public Health England's director of health, encouraged people to stop smoking both for their own health and to protect others.

Stressing the implications of the pandemic, Prof Newton said: "There has never been a more important time to stop smoking, not only for your own health but to protect those around you.”

Since Covid-19 attacks the respiratory system, it is thought that smoking, which can damage the lungs and airways, puts people at greater risk.

Officials from PHE point to a “small but highly impactful” Chinese survey which calculates that smokers with coronavirus are 14 times more likely to suffer from severe disease.

This study looked at patients suffering from Covid-19 pneumonia in three hospitals in Wuhan, China, where the virus was first identified in late December last year.

A “history of smoking” was among the factors identified as contributing to the patients’ symptoms.

The study, which appeared in the Chinese Medical Journal after research from 30 December to 15 January, also stated that age, respiratory failure and maximum body temperature on admission were other factors.

Prof Newton told smokers that "it is never too late to quit, no matter your age”, adding that the body continues to heal itself the longer the person remains smoke-free.

According to PHE, people who give up smoking should find that their breathing and blood circulation improve, enabling them to exercise more easily within 12 weeks.

Additional reporting by PA