Smoking, marijuana may increase risk of breakthrough COVID-19 infection: Study

According to a new study, people who take marijuana, alcohol or tobacco have an increased risk of being susceptible to breakthrough coronavirus cases even if they are fully vaccinated.

The study found that those who suffered from substance use disorder (SUD) had a higher chance of getting hit with the virus after vaccination.

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The study found 3.6 people without SUD were hit with a breakthrough infection compared to seven per cent who had SUD.The study said those who took marijuana were most at risk with 7.8 cases showing breakthrough infections.

The research was published in World Psychiatry which analysed 580,000 fully vaccinated people in the United States.

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The study said those with SUD were also likely to have a severe reaction to the virus which included hospitalisation and death.

The study also emphasised that underlying health conditions and adverse socio-economic connected to health among people with SUD also contributed towards COVID-19 breakthrough cases.

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The study comes as the World Health Organisation(WHO) recommendedimmunocompromised people should be given a booster shot due to the higher risk of breakthrough infections

WHO's vaccine director Kate O'Brien said people with lower immunity should get a "third vaccination".

Many parts of the world are still suffering from the virus. Russia on Monday had reported 957 deaths due to a virus which was close to the all-time high of 968 reported two days earlier.

The virus was so far over claimed over 4.8 million lives worldwide with the United being the worst hit with over 51 million coronavirus cases and more than 714,000 fatalities.

(With inputs from Agencies)