Poor Lung Hygiene in Kashmiri Population as Increased Risk Factor in Aggravating COVID-19 Disease Condition

COVID-19 pandemic has put the whole world in cauldron as almost each and every nation is affected by this deadly virus. Intense research is going on world over to demystify the microscopic involvements of this virus, how and whom it infects and in devising out a suitable treatment strategy in containing this pandemic. Till now there is no suitable therapeutic strategy available yet and people are advised to maintain social distancing protocols to protect themselves from contracting this disease. If we talk of symptoms, there are new things coming to fore what was initially thought out with new classes of symptoms continuously added to the already existing list and presumed to be directly aggravated on contracting COVID infection. Among various other factors that greatly increase the chances of getting infected and in aggravating the symptoms in COVID-19, poor lung health among elderly population has been found to significantly increase the chances of contracting the viral disease, exacerbating the disease condition & in poor prognosis to available treatment strategies. Hookah smoking is very common among majority of elderly population in Kashmir & cigarette smoking in younger lots could turn out devastating if the world pandemic takes an epidemic shape in Kashmir region. With high prevalence of other comorbid conditions like hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity and in conjunction with above nominal prevalence of cigarette and hookah smoking. Majority of both elderly and younger Kashmiri population could contract the disease and show severe symptoms owing to the factors discussed. Here, we summarize the prevalence of hookah smoking among majority of population in Kashmir and the associated lung diseases that are directly or indirectly attributed to high cigarette or hookah smoking in Kashmir and how it could act as high risk factor in COVID pandemic infection.