Smokers that are diagnosed with the coronavirus could expect a more severe infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition to washing your hands thoroughly, staying home and maintaining social distancing, the American Lung Association urges smokers to quit which will immediately improve overall health and may help avoid the most serious symptoms of the new disease.

Recent evidence shows that smokers are more susceptible to severe symptoms if they contract COVID-19. In a recent study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, people who smoke were 2.4 times more likely to have severe symptoms from COVID-19 compared to those who did not smoke.

Tobacco smoke and vape emissions affect our ability to fight viruses and disrupts the immune system causing inflammation in our airways. The presence of this inflammation in the face of an additional insult like an acute disease makes it harder for our lungs to combat the invading virus and sets up the risk for severe complications of the infection.

For more information, visit Lung.org/covid19 or call the American Lung Association’s Lung HelpLine (1-800-LUNGUSA).