Contrary to the popular belief that smokers are more vulnerable to the coronavirus disease compared to non-smokers, studies from at least four different countries show differently.
Based on the first official data on COVID-19 and tobacco smoking made in a French research, which was later on replicated in Germany, China, and the United States, there was a remarkably low rate of smokers who were hospitalized due to COVID-19 compared to the prevalence of smoking.
The said French study which showed results pertaining to the low rate of tobacco smokers among COVID-19 patients in China, which was the epicenter of the virus then, is currently being duplicated in the US by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Moreover, a different study published in the website of CDC said that out of the 7,162 COVID-19 patients with medical records, 96.3% or 6,901 were never smokers. Meanwhile, only 165 of the patients had a history of smoking which accounts for only 2.3% and only 96 of them were current smokers or about 1.3%.
No connection between smoking and COVID-19
On top of this, another study which was published on MedRxiV, the researchers stated that despite the speculations that the high rate of smoking in China could be one of the reasons for the high morbidity rate for COVID-19, they were not able to find a connection between the smoking status and the said increased risk in critical illness and hospitalization. The said findings are also consistent with other studies that have shown the lack of association between Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) and smoking.
In addition, researchers from New York University and the University of West Attica in Greece analyzed the density of smokers that have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in China. However, their findings were almost the opposite of what is being portrayed by the media.
The researchers also said that the prevalence of smoking among the patients with COVID-19 was less than one-third of what they expected upon conducting the said studies and concluded that the number did not seem high at all.
Smoking as COVID-19 Risk Factor is Exaggerated
The analysis released by the studies contradicts the arguments that smokers are more vulnerable to COVID-19 compared to others. However, despite the results of these studies, it has been widely pointed out that smoking puts people at higher risk of contracting the deadly virus. Some reports even singled out smokers as part of the high-risk demographic along with seniors and men.
It does, however, make sense why doctors and news outlets believe that smoking makes people vulnerable to the disease due to the fact that smoking increases a person's susceptibility to respiratory infections. This means that smoking is bad for the lungs and since COVID-19 targets's the respiratory tract people believe that smokers are suddenly more vulnerable.
However, based on research, there are other factors that needs to be taken into account aside from smoking in checking the risk of contracting coronavirus. They also said that age and socioeconomic status may have a greater association with COVID-19 infection than smoking.
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