Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have found that systematic vaping can be dangerous during a pandemic. So, people with a similar habit have five to seven times higher risks of contracting coronavirus compared to non-smokers, according to The National Interest.
Scientists used data on the US population collected during the pandemic in a survey, which was attended by 4.3 thousand people aged 13-24 years. Every second respondent reported that he smokes. After analyzing the information, researchers came to the conclusion that vaping fans not only have an increased risk of contracting the infection, but also five times more chances that the symptoms of COVID-19 will appear in a more severe form.
They ended up finding evidence that people who vaped were five to seven times more likely to catch the virus than those who didn't smoke e-cigarettes. One of the authors of the work, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University, Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felscher, warned young people that they could be at “immediate risk of infection” with coronavirus due to damage to their lungs.
The publication clarifies that the increased risk of infection is due to several reasons. On the one hand, e-cigarettes alter the immune system and are bad for the lungs. On the other hand, exhaled aerosol particles can carry COVID-19 and infect others.
Earlier, scientists at the University of California at San Diego found that smoking cigarettes and vapes can lead to severe complications in patients with COVID-19 and even death.
