No, we are saying that based on what we know about the health effects of smoking and vaping/using e-cigarettes there is a greater risk for COVID-19. Here are reasons why someone's risk for COVID-19 is greater: 

• The immune system is supressed from breathing in cigarette smoke¹ or e-cigarette aerosol⁴, making it harder to fight infections. 
• The lungs produce more of the ACE2 receptor/protein, which acts as a "doorway" for the virus, when someone breathes in cigarette smoke or nicotine².
• Those who reported smoking and were hospitalized due to pneumonia from COVID-19 were less likely to recover. 
• The possibility of transmission is greater since fingers from holding the cigarette or e-cigarette are in contact with that person's lips (World Health Organization (WHO)).
• The possibility of transmission is greater if someone is sharing their nicotine product such as a water pipe or hookah (World Health Organization (WHO)).

On a more empowering note, going smoke-free or vape-free can cause the lungs to have a normal immune response to an infection and prevents inflammation in the lungs so the lungs are better at fighting off an infection.

References:
1. Sopori, M. Effects of cigarette smoke on the immune system. Nat Rev Immunol 2, 372-377, doi:10.1038/nri803 (2002).
2. Jin, W., Luo, Q., Chen, R., Chen, T. & Li, J. Susceptibility Analysis of COVID-19 in Smokers Based on ACE2. (2020).
3. Liu, W. et al. Analysis of factors associated with disease outcomes in hospitalized patients with 2019 novel coronavirus disease. Chinese medical journal, 10.1097/CM1099.0000000000000775, doi:10.1097/CM9.0000000000000775 (2020).
4. Glantz, S. Reduce your risk of serious lung disease caused by corona virus by quitting smoking and vaping (Univeristy of California San Francisco, Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, 2020).

Yes, breathing in cigarette smoke and nicotine from secondhand smoke compromises the immune system which may increase the chance of catching COVID-19 in the lungs and make it harder for the body to defend itself during a  COVID-19 infection.

UC Merced's Nicotine & Cannabis Policy Center provided an excellent summary and explanation in their April 2020 Coronavirus (COVID-19) Report. Here is what they wrote based on the current literature:

"Tobacco smoke and nicotine both alter the immune response of the body,^1,2 which may increase the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 and limit the body’s natural defense against the illness. Current and former smokers are at greater risk of becoming ill due to the effects of second hand smoke (SHS) on the immune system.^1,3 SHS may put individuals who are at low risk for primary smoking, such as children,⁴ at greater risk of contracting the virus due to effects on the immune system. This supposition is supported by the fact that children with viral pneumonia are also more likely to experince severe symptoms and require intensive interventions when they have a history of secondhand smoke exposure,⁵ it is resonable to suppose the pneumonia developed due to COVID-19 may be more severe for children exposed to secondhand smoke. Nearly 40% of children are exposed to secondhand smoke worldwide,⁶ so it is essential to recognize that the families of smokers and former smokers, not just current smokers, should be considered at higher risk as well."

References:
            1. Sopori, M. Effects of cigarette smoke on the immune system. Nat Rev Immunol 2, 372-377, doi:10.1038/nri803 (2002).
            2. Qiu, F. et al. Impacts of cigarette smoking on immune responsiveness: Up and down or upside down? Oncotarget 8, 268-284,                                                               doi:10.18632/oncotarget.13613 (2017).
            3. Herr, C. et al. Suppression of pulmonary innate host defence in smokers. Thorax 64, 144-149, doi:10.1136/thx.2008.102681 (2009).
            4. Caselli, D. & Aricò, M. 2019-nCoV: Polite with children! Pediatr Rep 12, 8495-8495, doi:10.4081/pr.2020.8495 (2020).
            5. Erdem, S. B. et al. Does atopy affect the course of viral pneumonia? Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 46, 119-126, doi:10.1016/j.aller. 2017.04.003                         (2018).
            6. Oberg, M., Jaakkola, M. S., Woodward, A., Peruga, A. & Prüss-Ustün, A. Worldwide burden of disease from exposure to second-hand smoke: a                             retrospective analysis of data from 192 countries. Lancet (London, England) 377, 139-146, doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61388-8 (2011).

Yes! According to a new study¹ led by our team at the Stanford University School of Medicine, vaping/using e-cigarettes is linked to a substantially increased risk of COVID-19 among teenagers and young adults.  

Young people who had used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days were almost five times as likely to experience COVID-19 symptoms, such as coughing, fever, tiredness and difficulty breathing as those who never smoked or used e-cigarettes. 

Among the participants who were tested for COVID-19, those who had ever used e-cigarettes were 5 times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19 than nonusers.

Those who had used both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes in the previous 30 days were almost 7 times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease.

Reference:
            1. Gaiha SM, et al. Association Between Youth Smoking, Electronic Cigarette Use, and Coronavirus Disease 2019. J Adolesc Health, published                                   online 11 August 2020. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.07.002 (2020).

There is a receptor protein called ACE2 (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2) we produce in our body. It's known for reducing blood pressure and inflammation. More importantly it acts as a "doorway" or "anchor" for COVID-19.

Spikes from the surface of the novel coronavirus bind to ACE2 in the lungs and infect the cell. It hijacks the cell's activity to produces more copies of the virus. The infected lung cell(s) is/are destroyed in the process and when cell death adds up in the lungs it can cause damage to this organ.

Several studies have revealed that COVID-19 has a higher affinity for binding to the ACE2 receptor than the SARS virus, explaining the higher rates of human transmission. It’s been recently shown (click here for study) that exposure to cigarette smoke and nicotine increases the production of the ACE2 receptor in the lungs.

In summary, increased ACE2 production in the lungs from breathing in smoke and nicotine increases the sites at which COVID-19 can bind and infect lung cells. This can lead to damage in the lungs and a more severe COVID-19 infection.