Muhammad Sameer
The Pioneer Pakistan – Monday, April 12, 2021
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread around the world, health experts are warning that smoking weed can increase the risk of complications from COVID-19. While cannabis has long been touted for its medicinal properties, the act of smoking itself can have detrimental effects on the respiratory system, making individuals more susceptible to respiratory infections like COVID-19.
According to Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association, “When you inhale smoke, you’re inhaling a variety of harmful chemicals that can damage the lungs and weaken the immune system. This can increase the risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19, including pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.”
Research has shown that smoking weed can also lead to chronic bronchitis, a condition characterized by inflammation of the bronchial tubes in the lungs. Chronic bronchitis can cause coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, which can further compromise the respiratory system and increase the risk of COVID-19 complications.
Additionally, cannabis use can weaken the immune system, making it more difficult for the body to fight off infections. This is especially concerning for individuals who have underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.
While smoking is the most common method of consuming cannabis, there are alternative ways to use it that do not involve inhaling smoke. These include edibles, tinctures, and topical applications. Health experts recommend that individuals who choose to use cannabis during the pandemic should avoid smoking and opt for non-smoking methods instead.
It is also important to note that cannabis use can have other effects on the body that can make it more difficult to adhere to public health measures like social distancing and wearing masks. Cannabis use can impair judgement and increase feelings of relaxation and euphoria, which can lead individuals to be less vigilant about practicing good hygiene and following safety guidelines.
Among a number of do’s and don’ts to keep the novel coronavirus at bay, health experts now suggest that weed smoking – even occasionally – can increase the risk for severe complications from COVID-19.
According to a report published by CNN on Friday, smokers, people with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), and other chronic lung diseases, as well as people with moderate to severe asthma are among those at high risks for severe illness from COVID-19, including the worst-case scenario of being placed on a ventilator in order to continue breathing.
“What happens to your airways when you smoke cannabis is that it causes some degree of inflammation, very similar to bronchitis, very similar to the type of inflammation that cigarette smoking can cause,” said pulmonologist Dr Albert Rizzo.
“Now you have some airway inflammation and you get an infection on top of it. So, yes, your chance of getting more complications is there,” he added.
Signs of lung damage from smoking even just a few cigarettes can show up in a matter of days. While a hit or two of marijuana doesn’t compare, there are some unique properties to a joint of weed that are definitely problematic for the lungs even in a new smoker, the report highlighted.
Health professionals underscore that the last thing suspected coronavirus patients want during a pandemic is to make it more difficult for a doctor to diagnose their symptoms.
“COVID-19 is a pulmonary disease,” said Mitchell Glass, another pulmonologist. “Do you really want to have a confounding variable if you need to see a doctor or a healthcare worker by saying, ‘Oh, and by the way, I’m not a regular user of cannabis, but I decided to use cannabis to calm myself down. You don’t want to do anything that’s going to confound the ability of healthcare workers to make a rapid, accurate assessment of what’s going on with you,” he added.
Additionally, doctors also shed light on the fact that weed, apart from calming down people in stress, also disrupts the ability to function or make decisions, especially in times of pandemics.
“You’re reducing anxiety, but that is still a change in your thinking, a change in the way you are handling facts, how you’re grasping situations,” Glass concluded.
The worldwide number of officially confirmed fatalities from the novel coronavirus now stands at above 90,000, according to a Reuters tally. More than 1.6 million declared cases have been registered in 213 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December. Of these cases, at least 253,000 are now considered recovered.
In conclusion, health experts warn that smoking weed can increase the risk of COVID-19 complications by damaging the respiratory system and weakening the immune system. While cannabis has potential medicinal benefits, individuals should be aware of the risks associated with smoking and consider alternative methods of consumption during the pandemic. Additionally, it is important to continue practicing good hygiene and following safety guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.