Milton Keynes GP urges smokers to quit to up their chance of beating coronavirus

Parkside Medical Centre in Bletchley published photos on Facebook to show how coronavirus attacks the lungs.

"If your lungs are already damaged from smoking, this means that you are at higher risk of becoming severely unwell. It is not too late to stop," said a Parkside spokesman

Public Health England's director of health Professor John Newton is also advising smokers to quit if possible.

PHE officials have cited a “small but highly impactful” Chinese survey which calculates that smokers with coronavirus are 14 times more likely to suffer severely.

And they could even be more likely to catch the disease, as the repetitive hand to mouth movement used by smokers means the virus is given an easy route of entry.

Professor Newton said: "There has never been a more important time to stop smoking, not only for your own health but to protect those around you.”

The elimination of carbon monoxide from the body is one of the immediate benefits of quitting smoking. People should then find their lungs start to clear out mucus and other" smoking debris", say experts.

Bronchial tubes begin to relax and made breathing easier after 72 hours of quitting smoking and blood circulation improves.

Parkside GPS have published details of help available for smokers wishing to stop

The NHS has a free quit smoking service here https://www.nhs.uk/smokefreeThere are tips to help here https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/quit-smoking/Meanwhile, dedicated staff at Parkside Medical Centre are opening seven days a week for their patients..

"In response to the escalating pandemic, t staff have decided to open seven days per week for urgent care in order to ensure our patients get the urgent care they need during this time," said a spokesman.

The new opening times are:

Monday 8.00am - 6.30pm

Tuesday 8.00am - 6.30pm

Wednesday 8.00am - 6 30pm

Thursday 8.00am - 6.30pm

Friday 8.00am - 6.30pm

Saturday 9.00am - 1.00pm

Sunday 9.00am - 1.00pm

This weekend service is for urgent. For routine queries, including repeat prescription request, call during the week day.

Anybody with coronavirus symptoms should usethe NHS 111 service as usual.