Here is the abstract of the study - Smoking, vaping and hospitalization for COVID-19 - by researchers at the University of West Attica in Greece and New York University.
The study presents an analysis of the current smoking prevalence among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in China, compared to the population smoking prevalence in China (52.1% in males and 2.7% in females). Through a systematic research of the literature (PubMed) we identified 7 studies examining the clinical characteristics of a total of 2352 hospitalized COVID-19 patients that presented data on the smoking status.It makes intuitive sense that smoking ought to exacerbate a respiratory infection such as coronavirus. Indeed, earlier reports in the mainstream media reflected this view when very little was known about coronavirus, pointing out the obvious — that smoking damages your lungs and so do respiratory diseases.
The expected number of smokers was calculated using the formula Expected smokers = (males x 0.521) + (females x 0.027). An unusually low prevalence of current smoking was observed among hospitalized COVID-19 patients (8.7%, 95%CI: 7.6-9.9%) compared to the expected prevalence based on smoking prevalence in China (30.3%, 95%CI: 28.4-32.1%; z-statistic: 22.80, P < 0.0001). This preliminary analysis does not support the argument that current smoking is a risk factor for hospitalization for COVID-19, and might even suggest a protective role.
The latter could be linked to the down-regulation of ACE2 expression that has been previously known to be induced by smoking. However, other confounding factors need to be considered and the accuracy of the recorded smoking status needs to be determined before making any firm conclusions. As a result, the generalized advice on quitting smoking as a measure to improve health risk remains valid, but no recommendation can currently be made concerning the effects of smoking on the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19.
No studies recording e-cigarette use status among hospitalized COVID-19 patients were identified. Thus, no recommendation can be made for e-cigarette users.
A recent study also reflects this conventional wisdom. Published in the journal of the International Society for the Prevention of Tobacco Induced Diseases, the March COVID-19 and smoking paper states:
...although further research is warranted as the weight of the evidence increases, with the limited available data, and although the above results are unadjusted for other factors that may impact disease progression, smoking is most likely associated with the negative progression and adverse outcomes of COVID-19.But the authors of the West Attica/NYU study cautiously advance a theory as to why this might not be the case:
Smoking increases susceptibility to respiratory infections and media reports suggest that it may increase the risk of being infected with acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 is known to use the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor for cell entry, and there is evidence that smoking down-regulates ACE2 expression in the lung and other tissues.Their findings, though surprising, appear to be supported by the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These too show that - contrary to expectations - relatively few smokers and ex-smokers have been hospitalised with COVID-19.
The CDC apparently isn't eager to play up the significance of smoking in patient survival outcomes. Nevertheless, it acknowledges in this throwaway comment:
Finally, for some underlying health conditions and risk factors, including neurologic disorders, chronic liver disease, being a current smoker, and pregnancy, few severe outcomes were reported; therefore, conclusions cannot be drawn about the risk for severe COVID-19 among persons in these groups.Neither the authors of the Smoking, vaping and hospitalization for COVID-19 study nor the CDC are advocating taking up smoking in order to ward off coronavirus. Also, they caveat their findings by noting that this is preliminary data which may be based on incomplete information.
Other studies
Further, the study authors note that smokers are more likely than non-smokers to 'suffer comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease, which are risk factors for adverse COVID-19 outcomes.'
They conclude:
Considering the above-mentioned uncertainties, the generalized advice on quitting smoking as a measure to improve health risk remains valid but no recommendation can be currently made concerning the effects of smoking on the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19.
Reader Comments
That showed non-smokers are 6x more likely than smokers to need ICU treatment whilst former smokers appear to retain some protection against the virus.
I don't know about this study - figures don't look so clear to me.
I think the nicotine content of tobacco has probably been surreptitiously "diminished" over the last few decades.
Certainly has been the case with American Spirit, which by now is now hardly worth a light.
You might as well smoke hay.
I hardly ever smoke anymore. However, I have started to enjoy the odd Café Crème filter cigar every now and then.
You can turbo-charge ciggies by adding a pinch of plain unperfumed tobacco snuff before you roll. The stuff that's just raw powdered tobacco, basically. Tobacco snuff has pretty much maintained it's 19th century good nicotine levels.
Somthing like Viking Dark or Taxi Red are probably a good bet. There's also Toque Rustica, which I've never personally tried, but at 10X+ the nicotine levels of most strong snuffs, should probably be handled with a bit of respect.
I already smoke it. It's still as puny as fuck compared to a proper cigarette, i.e. 1990'S UK "Natural American Spirit Blue" (every one an Erik Satie piano dream), as was before Tony Blair froze their export license and threatened to pull it completely if they didn't artificially drop the nicotine levels to near zero "hay" level.
Much as I enjoy tobacco,it is still the most toxic nerve poison in the plant world, needing two sets of flowers for two symbiotic species to produce seed. I take comfort that the humble humming bird is one of them, they need strong hearts.
Science really should remember humbly that it's always in the process of refining its opinions.
I've rolled my own off and on for decades; mostly when work was scarce and a bag of tobacco cheaper than the pre-rolled. And then there is the ganja.... [Link]
If 10,000 Hrs is required to master something then I aught to be very competent
Pot's been rehabilitated. Others have been permanently 'tarred' by folks with no experience nor clue, but who instead all jumped on the bandwagon of denigration.
All things in moderation, that too.
R.C.
*I think it relates to females innate ability to weave baskets. (Spindle and distaff and all that.)
RC
"Because they did before they get there." (National Anti-Tobacco chief of propaganda..)
I put the tiniest pinch into a cigarette, lit up, and after a couple off puffs, two enormous Valkyries picked me up and flew me off to Valhalla.
Not what you might call "an everyday smoke", but if there's ever a tobacco drought, what I've got in that small jar would probably be enough to last me for at least a decade.
Actually, growing up, surfers had affirmative peer pressure to not smoke nor use tobacco. There were only two drugs/modalities that would ensure social ostracization: Smoking tobacco; and using needles (which back then equated to H, which is probably the only drug that SWIM has never used nor tried.)
Thus, when I've tried to smoke tobacco in my life (two times) - I found self projectile vomiting in a parking lot followed by suffering truly worst of my life 24 - hour hangovers The first time was at around age 20; that lasted till around 35 the second time lasted until now.)
Dear HFL:, I was accidentally left an unopened bottle of pure nicotine for vapes, I guess. So, should I dry the nicotine and snort it?
P.s., Just was re-glimpsing at LeCarre's last book, 'Our Game.' When I first read it ~96, I followed it. When I last read it, ~2014?, I followed it better. Glimpsing at it I remembered why. Communicating with you folks really helps one to understant your communication usages (gotta be a better description) and helped to follow a book like that. (Meanwhile, Amurkans and their books are easier to follow/dumbed down for the masses. )
RC
Had "Warning: Danger of Death" stickers all over the packaging.
Dunno anything about vapes.
Hmmm. Lemme see. What would Iggy do? LOL.
Some of those Injun legends about tobacco are interesting...
Problem with that though was that they hadn't invented waterproof cigarettes by then.
It's a bit like smoking cigarettes and swimming, whatever hand you put it in, you can be pretty sure you're going to go around in circles.
LOL.
1) I'm talking the 70s; and,
2) At least a part of it was a 'superior' 'real surfers can get something else to smoke' aspect as surfers ran that whole show back then. (Hell, even Hendrix smuggled ... I forget . . . in a surfboard in some flick.)
"Nobody knows the truth, but us."
And they didn't. At least not that kind of truth, anyway.
Typical of predominately male subcultural groups.
Which don't seem to exist anymore, BTW.
The sad thing is that those don't seem to exist any more; most likely because the poor bastards have been, by the MSM and its warping of society, to believe that they really ARE inferior.
I imagine your little microcosmic tribal unit had aims, achievements and discoveries that you probably would have been quite staunch about. Nothing wrong with that.
I'll let all know about the AB.
Much like you never had Newcastle Brown Ale on Cocoa Beach, I imagine. LOL.