Q: I use e-cigarettes. Are people who vape at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19?
A: Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, there has appeared to be a correlation between tobacco usage and contracting COVID-19. Published studies show that smoking nearly doubles a person’s risk of a severe COVID infection. This is not surprising, considering that nicotine is known to damage a person’s immune system, and smoking strips protections away from the lungs, making you less able to ward off infection.
Recently, there have been several studies published in the Journal of Adolescent Health illustrating the particular risk that vaping presents for young people. One study published in July found that smoking doubled the risk of COVID-19 infection for young adults, ages 18 to 25. A study published in August shows that teenagers and young adults, ages 13 to 24, who use e-cigarettes are five times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 than those who don’t vape. Even more disturbing, young adults who are dual users (meaning they smoke both traditional and electronic cigarettes), are seven times more likely to test positive with the novel coronavirus. E-cigarette users are also significantly more likely to get tested for COVID-19, possibly due to the side effects of vaping being similar to COVID symptoms.
These new studies about vaping and COVID-19 have made it abundantly clear that vaping/e-cigarette usage significantly increases your risk of contracting the novel coronavirus, even at a young age. If you are a vaper, you are putting yourself at a much higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
Dr. Paul M. Hendricks is health officer for the Hamilton County Health Department and a member of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society.