WHO Says Alcohol Consumption Can Increase Catching COVID-19

For those indulging in a "quarantini" or two (or five) while under various stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus, you may want to give your cocktail shaker a rest for the sake of your health.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) Regional Office for Europe shared via their website, "At times of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption can exacerbate health vulnerability, risk-taking behaviors, mental health issues and violence. WHO/Europe reminds people that drinking alcohol does not protect them from COVID-19, and encourages governments to enforce measures which limit alcohol consumption."

WHO added, "Alcohol consumption is associated with a range of communicable and noncommunicable diseases and mental health disorders, which can make a person more vulnerable to COVID-19. In particular, alcohol compromises the body’s immune system and increases the risk of adverse health outcomes. Therefore, people should minimize their alcohol consumption at any time, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic."

WHO notes that there are three million alcohol-related deaths every year, and a third of those deaths happen in Europe.