In line with previous literature, a new study published in Preventive Medicine, found that nicotine consumption via vaping may actually act as a protective factor against contracting COVID-19.
Carried out between March and November 2020, the study titled, “Electronic cigarette use and risk of COVID-19 among young adults without a history of cigarette smoking,” the study included participants aged between 18 and 35 years of age, who had no history of smoking.
The compiled responses indicated that the COVID-19 test positivity rate was significantly higher in former vapers than in current users. In line with these findings, countless studies reported that nicotine consumption acted as a protective factor against contracting the virus.
In fact, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have shown that smokers represented just 1.3% of COVID-19 cases analyzed, while America’s adult smoking rate is at 13.7%. Similarly, a review of Chinese data published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine had reported that “active smoking does not apparently seem to be significantly associated with enhanced risk of progressing towards severe disease in COVID-19.”
Smoking and the severity of COVID-19 symptoms
Sadly, another study looking for a possible relationship between smoking and/or smoking and the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, failed to make a distinction between the two products. Published in PLOS ONE, a peer-reviewed, open access scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science, this flawed study has ignored the scientific data about the relative safety of the products.
Based on data from the American Heart Association’s COVID-19 CVD Registry, the study analyzed data on people over 18 years of age who were hospitalized with COVID-19 in 107 registry-participating hospitals across the nation between January 2020 to March 2021.
The research team found that people who reported smoking or vaping prior to their hospitalization for COVID-19 were more likely than non-users to experience severe symptoms and complications, including death.