“The World Health Organization issued a statement on 11 May 2020 that there is insufficient information to confirm that tobacco or nicotine can prevent or treat novel coronavirus pneumonia (“NCP”) and that, on the contrary, smokers are at higher risk of developing severe disease and death.
Secondly, smokers may be more susceptible to NCCP because the contact between fingers, cigarette and lips during smoking increases the likelihood of transmission of the virus.
Thirdly, New Coronary Pneumonia is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets and when smokers remove their masks to smoke, they increase the risk of infection. If smokers gather in an enclosed smoking room, the possibility of virus transmission is even greater.”