COVID-19 and the role of e-cigarette use: An evidence-based review

While the world is grappling with one of the biggest pandemics in history, the role that personal preferences or lifestyles can play in the development of this pandemic should not be overlooked. One of these preferences is the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). COVID-19 is a disease that primarily attacks the lungs. Thus, factors that cause pre-existing lung disease such as e-cigarette use may increase the risk for critical complications from COVID-19. Promoted as an alternative to conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes induce inflammation of human airways and possibly increase susceptibility toward pneumonia because of an increase of pneumococcal adherence to airway cells. Lung damage caused by flavorings contained in e-cigarettes can increase health risks, especially from COVID-19. When compared to nonsmokers, e-cigarette users had a five times increased risk while dual users with tobacco had a seven times increased risk of COVID-19 infection. Recent research supports that many medical consequences such as lung inflammation and increased susceptibility to pulmonary viral and bacterial infections in smokers and people with COVID-19 disease may also develop due to e-cigarette use. The aim of this article is to investigate whether there is a role for e-cigarette use in the development of respiratory diseases caused by the COVID-19 virus. With the help of our experience of working on e-cigarettes for many years and various scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, etc.), the health risks experienced by people who both use e-cigarettes and have a COVID-19 virus infection, and the role of respiratory system symptoms, in particular, were investigated.

Automated summary

The use of electronic cigarettes may increase the risk for critical complications of COVID-19 by causing airway inflammation and affecting lung health. E-cigarette users have a five times higher risk of COVID-19 infection compared to non-smokers, and even higher risk compared to tobacco users.