The World Health Organisation says the available evidence suggests that smoking is associated with increased severity of disease and death in hospitalised Covid-19 patients.

In its press statements following the deaths of patients due to Covid-19, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has included information on comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. It has not stated whether any of the 29 patients who died from Covid-19-related complications was a smoker.

Was smoking history not part of the medical review, and hence there was no information for disclosure?

Or was smoking history or smoking status recorded, but deemed not necessary for disclosure?

Smoking-related diseases kill six people in Singapore each day, according to The Tobacco Atlas (Diseases linked to smoking kill 6 people daily, March 27, 2018).

If indeed there were smokers among the Covid-19-related deaths here, MOH should disclose this information in its press statements as a cautionary tale to would-be smokers not to start and to current smokers to quit.

Lim Teck Koon