02-27-2020, 02:29 PM
** 27-Feb-2020 World View: Coronavirus and Smoking
The 1918 Spanish flu infected 1/3 of world's population, killed 50
million people.
The 2009 swine flu killed 575,000 people.
Coronavirus - 78,000 infections so far, 2,800 dead so far. 80% of
infections are mild.
Here is something completely different that I've never heard before,
from an interview on al-Jazeera with Dr. Vin Gupta, University of
Washington Medical Center. This provides a partial explanation
of some other mysteries -- why the epidemic is so much worse
in China than elsewhere:
Respiratory pathogens -- SARS, Coronavirus, Avian flu -- are
geographically affected. They take root where people smoke a lot.
And the Chinese have the highest smoking prevalence rate in the world,
and it's not even close amongst men. Women in China get exposure to
second hand smoke at levels you wouldn't believe. So there's poor
lung health in China. Once it takes root in China, since it's a
respiratory illness, it can spread to other countries.
The 1918 Spanish flu infected 1/3 of world's population, killed 50
million people.
The 2009 swine flu killed 575,000 people.
Coronavirus - 78,000 infections so far, 2,800 dead so far. 80% of
infections are mild.
Here is something completely different that I've never heard before,
from an interview on al-Jazeera with Dr. Vin Gupta, University of
Washington Medical Center. This provides a partial explanation
of some other mysteries -- why the epidemic is so much worse
in China than elsewhere:
Respiratory pathogens -- SARS, Coronavirus, Avian flu -- are
geographically affected. They take root where people smoke a lot.
And the Chinese have the highest smoking prevalence rate in the world,
and it's not even close amongst men. Women in China get exposure to
second hand smoke at levels you wouldn't believe. So there's poor
lung health in China. Once it takes root in China, since it's a
respiratory illness, it can spread to other countries.
