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Dear Editor:
Since September of 2020, Trinity has partnered with the Hamilton County Health Department to provide COVID-19 testing to our community and more recently to help administer vaccines. We are so proud of Hamilton County residents for stepping up to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Patients who register for COVID testing are asked if they smoke, vape, or use other tobacco products. While there is still much to learn about the relationship between smoking and the effects of the coronavirus, one thing is certain – smoking does not help.
Your lungs are at the forefront of your immune system. Smoking and the use of tobacco products are proven risk factors for cardiovascular and lung disease which can put you at higher risk for a severe case of COVID-19. This month, the Indiana Tobacco Quitline (1-800-QUIT NOW) celebrates 15 years of helping Hoosiers overcome tobacco addiction by offering four weeks of free nicotine patches and gum to anyone who enrolls, while supplies last.
Mel Wischmeyer
Executive Director, Trinity Free Clinic