COVID-19: Risk of increase in smoking rates among England’s 6 million smokers and relapse among England’s 11 million ex-smokers

摘要

As a practising GP, I am concerned about those who might get seriously unwell due to the respiratory virus SARS-CoV-2. As a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), I join hands with the public health and other healthcare communities to focus on acute measures in this time of national emergency to save lives from COVID-19. At the same time, I am also worried about those who may not currently be in the high-risk group for COVID-19 but will be self-isolating and maintaining social distance. As the world goes into lockdown, social distancing and self-isolation are likely to make the society very lonely and life more stressful.