COPD carries greater Covid risk

Marking World Day against Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, the Hellenic Pulmonary Society has called for the inclusion of people with COPD among those groups that will be first in line to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

It stressed that Covid-19 is far more dangerous for these people, who are at twice to three times the risk of ending up in an intensive care unit and being intubated.

According to Hellenic Pulmonary Society data, an estimated 600,000 Greeks (8.4%) suffer from COPD. Of these, 56% do not know they have it.

Men are at 2.5 times more risk than women (11.6% men vs 4.8% women). Smoking is almost exclusively responsible for the condition.