Vaping increases risk of Covid-19: Research

When the vaping bug caught on, June Awuor, 23, was not left behind. She has been vaping for a while now.

When the coronavirus started ravaging the world and research warned smokers were at a higher risk of contracting it, June did not stop. After all, vaping is now marketed as safer than cigarette smoking. The pandemic has made her make some adjustments, but vaping has not been a problem for her.

I ask her what adjustments she has made during this period, she says: “I think I have been cautious enough. I know Covid-19 is real, and so I have been extremely cautious, but I do not have any fears of contracting the disease.”

Damaged lungs

Vaping, an e-cigarette smoking technology, is popular with the youth.

Even before the pandemic, studies had linked vaping to serious health complications especially around the lung area. Now, a new research, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that vaping puts users at a higher risk of Covid-19.

“Both cigarette and electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use, damages the respiratory system, potentially increasing the risk of experiencing Covid-19–related symptoms, a positive diagnosis and exacerbated health outcomes," says the study.

The research has zeroed in on adverse complications on vapers, who contract Covid-19. Those who use an e-cigarette, according to the study, are highly susceptible to Covid-19, especially if the device is shareable.

“Covid-19 spreads through repeated touching of one’s hands to the mouth and face, which is common among cigarette and e-cigarette users. Furthermore, sharing devices (although likely reduced while staying at home) is also a common practice among youth e-cigarette users," researchers say.

Positive diagnosis

It is the content that is in this new form of smoking that has even greater effects on the body of a user who, unfortunately, is exposed to the virus. The study says: “Heightened exposure to nicotine and other chemicals in e-cigarettes adversely affects lung function, with studies showing that lung damage caused by e-cigarettes is comparable to combustible cigarettes.”

The study, which was conducted based on self-reported symptoms, testing of the coronavirus and diagnoses that turned out positive, was classified into categories such as 'ever' use of e-cigarettes, past 30-day use of cigarettes only, e-cigarettes use only, and dual use of e-cigarettes as well as cigarettes.

The research found that a Covid-19 diagnosis was likely to turn positive in all the categories. For 'ever' users of the e-cigarette, for instance, they are five times more likely to get a positive diagnosis. Those who use both the e-cigarette and the traditional one are seven times likely to have Covid-19.

The highest prevalence was among past 30 days dual users, which was nine times likely. The least diagnosed users were those who in the past 30 days at the time of the research, used only the e-cigarette form of smoking which recorded a 2.6 times likely positive outcome for Covid-19.

In Kenya, its users are mostly in the urban areas, which are the high-risk regions associated with Covid-19 cases.