Health Effects

Read Time: 1 minute and 54 seconds

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."

Read Time: 1 minute and 24 seconds

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 nicotine.²
• Those who reported smoking and were hospitalized due to pneumonia from COVID-19 were less likely to recover.³
• 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.