Evaluation of smoking and quitting rates of COVID-19 cases followed in Çukurova University

ABSTRACT Evaluation of Smoking and Quitting Rates of COVID-19 Cases Followed in Çukurova University Aim: It was aimed to examine the smoking status of those who applied to Çukurova University Balcalı Hospital with the suspicion of COVID-19 and to evaluate whether they showed a behavioral change in favor of quitting smoking during the pandemic. Material and Method: The population of the study consisted of those who applied to Balcalı Hospital with the suspicion of COVID-19 between March 2020 and June 2020. The sample group consisted of those whose smoking status was confirmed by accessing phone information from medical records. In case definition, the World Health Organization and T.C. The Guidelines of the Ministry of Health were used. Cigarette addiction was measured with the Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Test. Smokers' willingness to quit was assessed using the transtheoretical model. Result: 11.4% of the cases were negative for COVID-19, 71.7% were suspected and 16.9% were definite cases. When chronic diseases were examined alone, the rate of hypertension in suspected/confirmed cases was lower than in COVID-19 negative cases (respectively, 19.1%, 41.9%, p=0.004). When other diseases were evaluated together (sickle cell anemia, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, bening prostatic hyperplasia, osteoporosis, cerebrovascular disease) suspected/definite cases were more than COVID-19 negative cases (respectively, 24.9%, 3.2%, p=0.006). The rate of smoking in definite cases (n=17, 37.0%) was higher than in COVID-19 negative (n=4, 12.9%) and suspected cases (n=47, 24.1%)(p=0.050). There was no significant effect of being a positive or negative case of COVID-19 on smoking cessation attempt in smokers (respectively, 13.3%, 35.1%, p=0.179). The need for intensive care was found to be higher in COVID-19 suspected/confirmed cases (33.6%) than in PCR-negative cases (12.9%) (p=0.019). Smoking odds ratio of COVID-19 definite cases compared to negative cases was twice was high (OR=2.011, 95% CI 1.033-2.994, p=0.04). Conclusions: Although the smoking odds ratio of COVID-19 positive cases was twice as high, the desire to quit was found to be similar to those who did not have the disease. This shows the importance of getting professional support to quit smoking despite the presence of a pandemic disease with a high mortality risk. Keywords=COVID-19, smoking addiction, smoking cessation, mortality