Are Smokers and Vapers at Greater Risk from COVID-19?

According to foreign media outlet BGR, are smokers or e-cigarette users at greater risk from the novel coronavirus? At present, there is still limited research on the specific effects of COVID-19 on people with these habits. Medical researchers point out that the severity of a COVID-19 infection can be judged in part by whether the illness progresses from initial cold- and flu-like symptoms to pneumonia. In such cases, people with lung damage are more likely to require additional treatment.

The harm smoking causes to the lungs is well known. According to foreign media reports, researchers in China recently found that among patients who tested positive for COVID-19, smokers were 14 times more likely than non-smokers to develop pneumonia. Pneumonia caused by COVID-19 infection is believed to be the leading cause of death among patients who test positive for the virus. If the disease progresses to that stage, pre-existing lung damage is clearly a major risk multiplier. Smoking, and even the use of e-cigarettes, may make the situation worse. However, smoking is not the only possible risk factor associated with lung disease.

There is a serious lack of research on exactly how smoking directly affects lung function, but some health experts believe that smoking impairs the function of lung cells. If that is indeed the case, then heavy e-cigarette users may also find themselves at increased risk of complications from COVID-19 infection.

At this point, because the sample size of infected patients is relatively small and in-depth research is lacking, it is difficult for doctors to determine exactly how much of an impact smoking—or even e-cigarette use—actually has.