The Jan. 5 study out of King’s College London, published in the journal Thorax, found that smoking is associated with an increased risk of a higher number of COVID-19 symptoms. The study examined March and April data from 2.4 million people on the self-reported app ZOE COVID Symptom Study, 11 percent of whom were smokers. According to the researchers’ findings, smokers were 14 percent more likely than non-smokers to develop common COVID symptoms like a fever, persistent cough, and shortness of breath. They were also 29 percent more likely to report more than five symptoms and 50 percent more likely to report more than 10 symptoms. Study co-author Mario Falchi, PhD, of King’s College’s School of Life Course Sciences, said in a statement: “Our results clearly show that smokers are at increased risk of suffering from a wider range of COVID-19 symptoms than non-smokers.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb On top of that, the researchers suggest that “a greater number of symptoms was likely to represent more severe illness.” Internal medicine specialist Spencer Kroll, MD, PhD, who was not involved in the study, said he has seen this phenomenon in his own patients. “I have observed worsened respiratory symptoms in my patients who are smokers when they are infected with COVID-19,” Knoll said. “Chest X-rays and CT scans, even in minimally symptomatic patients, often show new and sustained abnormalities.” And for more on your COVID risk, find out why Lacking This Vitamin Could Put You at Risk of Severe COVID, New Study Says. The study also found that smokers are two times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID than non-smokers, which corroborates previous research out of the Cleveland Clinic Health system in Ohio and Florida. “We continue to see that patients who have a history of smoking cigarettes requiring hospitalization, ICU care, and mechanical ventilation,” says Chief Medical Officer at TeleMed2U Javeed Siddiqui, MD, MPH, who was not involved in the study. “In addition, we continue to see that patients who smoke cigarettes have more issues long term with breathing difficulties and coughing and shortness of breath.” To learn about one of the scariest long-term effects, check out The Terrifying Long COVID Symptom Doctors Are Now Warning About. A number of studies have found evidence that smokers are at an increased risk of severe illness due to COVID, but few have looked into why this is. A November study out of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) found that there are a few reasons smokers are more vulnerable to the virus. According to the study, direct cigarette smoke exposure increases the number of cells infected with COVID, and cigarette smoke reduces immune response when faced with a COVID infection. “If you think of the airways like the high walls that protect a castle, smoking cigarettes is like creating holes in these walls,” co-author of the UCLA study Brigitte Gomperts, MD, explained in a statement. “Smoking reduces the natural defenses, and that allows the virus to set in.” And for more up-to-date COVID news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. COVID isn’t the only illness smokers are more vulnerable to. “Smoking destroys the cilia in your lungs, which are the tiny, hair-like structures that trap viruses and other foreign substances and sweep them out of your airways,” said Kroll. “They’re one of your body’s main defenses against infection.” Smoking also leads you to produce more mucus, causing your lungs to struggle to clear the mucus due to the damaged cilia, which compounds the illness, explained Siddiqui. “These and other effects from smoking can significantly increase a smoker’s risk for acquiring respiratory infections, including pneumonia,” said Siddiqui. And if you’re looking to stave off COVID, know that If You Live in These States, You Can Now Get Vaccinated at Walmart.
