Experts Say Smoking or Vaping May Raise Risk of Severe COVID-19 Infection

On March 19, according to Fox News, some health experts in the United States say that e-cigarette users and smokers may now need to put down their vaping products and tobacco products more than ever. Experts believe that vaping or smoking may make individuals more susceptible to severe infections from the novel coronavirus.

Few studies have investigated the link between smoking or vaping and the pandemic sweeping the globe. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined that smoking damages the immune system and hinders the body's ability to fight infections. Research indicates that smoking also increases inflammation in the body.

Melodi Pirzada, the pediatric pulmonology director at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Long Island, told Scientific American: “All of this leads me to believe we will see more severe cases, especially among long-term smokers or e-cigarette users.”

Although she has not treated COVID-19 patients, she noted: “It is common sense that once you have a history of vaping or smoking, the entire respiratory system and lung defenses change.”

Currently, there is insufficient data to determine the impact of smoking on COVID-19 patients. A study involving 78 COVID-19 patients found that those with a history of smoking had a 14% higher risk of developing pneumonia. This study was published in the Chinese Medical Journal.

“For regular smokers, we know it suppresses the ciliary clearance of the airways,” Pirzada told Scientific American. “We have these small (hair-like) structures called cilia that are responsible for clearing toxins and mucus from the airways and lungs when we cough. We know that smoking and vaping affect this.”

The FDA has banned most flavored vaping products.

Robert Tarran, a professor of cell biology and physiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told scientific publications that while smoking is a known risk factor for influenza, there has not been much research on the risk of infection for smokers. However, he pointed out that some studies suggest that smokers are more susceptible to respiratory infections.

More research is needed to specifically link smoking or vaping to COVID-19, but experts say quitting smoking remains a safe choice with many other health benefits.