How fear of Covid forced many to give up smoking

BENGALURU: Sarvesh (name changed) was a chain-smoker till March 2020 when the Covid-19 lockdown confined him to his two-bedroom house in Arekere. “I could sneak in three to four smokes a day, until I had a coughing fit in April first week,” said Patil, who was terrified thinking it could be because of Covid-19. “I spoke to a doctor-friend, who said that the reason was smoking compounded by stress and not Covid-19. But the anxiety and fear I felt at that time forced me to give up smoking for good,” he said. Patil is among several city smokers who quit the habit during the pandemic because of fear of Covid-19 infection.

1 Jan 1970