Smokers are twice as likely to end up in intensive care or die if they contract coronvarius, a senior doctor has warned as he urged people to ditch cigarettes amid the pandemic.
Dr John Patterson, Oldham CCG's chief clinical officer, said that now is the most crucial time to quit smoking as the number of cases and deaths from Covid-19 in the UK continues to rise.
As of March 31, more than 900 people in Greater Manchester have tested positive for the virus, with around half of them requiring hospital treatment.
Dr Patterson said that smokers were more at risk of developing severe coronavirus, and more likely to die from the virus. "Smokers are 40pc more likely to suffer severe symptoms and 2.5 times more likely to end up in ICU (intensive
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