Dear Editor,
Case combination of COVID-19 patients is moving to younger people. The fact may reflect increased exposures as a result of reduced social distancing and a lack of knowledge and sensitization of COVID-19 related risk factors in this age group.
Water pipe or hookah smoking also commonly known as “hubble bubble,” is becoming widely used, especially among the younger people, and is often largely unrecognized as a health risk.
Hookah puffing is more variable such as the number of puffs, total puffing time, and total smoke inhaled. Regarding total puffing time, hookah use takes significantly longer periods (30–90 min/session) in comparison to cigarette smoking (average 5–6 min).[1] a common 1-hour-long hookah smoking session is comparable to 100–200 cigarette smoking and involves 200 puffs, which is about 90,000 ml smoke inhaled.[2] toxicant yields during 1–2 h hookah smoking damage the respiratory lining and predispose the smoker to respiratory infectious diseases, and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is no exception.
In addition to the hazardous effects of tobacco smoke on body organs, the risk of transmission of infectious agents through shared water pipe use are of serious concern during the COVID-19 outbreak. It is difficult to clean long pipes and the water reservoir of hookah.
In addition, recent studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be detected in people 1–3 days before beginning their symptoms; so, SARS-CoV-2 infected asymptomatic persons can also infect other people.[3] Shared hookah smoking, which is usual in hookah bars and gatherings, can be mentioned as a serious risk for transmission of COVID-19.
Several countries, including Iran, have already banned hookah smoking in public places, assumed the public health risks of COVID-19 transmission.[4] Regardless of the ban on use in public places, hookah use in private parties and friends/family gathering has persisted.
Sensitizing people to situations infected persons transmit the virus is important to take steps to prevent the virus from spreading.
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Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
REFERENCES
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