Associations between vaping and Covid-19: Cross-sectional findings from the HEBECO study

Kale, Dimitra; Herbeć, Aleksandra; Perski, Olga; Jackson, Sarah E; Brown, Jamie; Shahab, Lion

doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108590

Cited by 38 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These findings highlight the importance of continued public health messaging on smoking, especially as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. Bidirectional changes in health behaviours associated with lockdown have also been reported in other contexts including alcohol use and vaping [ 9 , 21 , 22 ]. On this basis, it has been suggested that public health policies, measures and media are required to promote greater self-awareness, self-help, and self-care within the home setting to prevent later strains on the healthcare system [ 23 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

‘I Was Smoking a Lot More during Lockdown Because I Can’: A Qualitative Study of How UK Smokers Responded to the Covid-19 Lockdown

O’Donnell

Eadie

Stead

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study explored how Covid-19 lockdown restrictions affected people’s daily smoking routines and behaviours, including adherence and modifications to pre-established smoking restrictions in the home. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with smokers and non-smokers from smoking households 19 to 27 weeks after the first full UK lockdown ended in May 2020. A non-probability purposive sample representing 25 adults aged 21 or over living in households with at least 1 smoker were recruited to the study. A quota sampling strategy was used, according to age, gender, smoking status, family status, household composition, householder access to outdoor space, and change to work-life status. Most participants found lockdown increased the amount of time spent at home, where stresses associated with confinement, curtailment of social routines, removal of barriers and distractions to smoking due to home working, and feelings of boredom all contributed to increased smoking. Fewer factors were identified as reducing smoking during lockdown. Prominent examples included disruption to habitual smoking patterns and distraction from smoking associated with spending more time doing outdoor activities. Pressures placed on physical space and lack of privacy due to the confinement at home were responsible for displacement of smoking within the home, leading to breaking of smoke-free rules and family tensions, and in some cases to greater awareness amongst parents that their children smoked. Changes in daily routines associated with lockdown affected and displaced smoking behaviour both positively and negatively. Health improvement interventions could seek to harness positive changes in smoking associated with any future lockdown approaches. New home-working norms highlight the need for employers to support staff to reduce their smoking and to remain smoke-free.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

‘I Was Smoking a Lot More during Lockdown Because I Can’: A Qualitative Study of How UK Smokers Responded to the Covid-19 Lockdown

O’Donnell

Eadie

Stead

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“… 9 However, similar to our findings, another cross sectional online study from the United Kingdom (conducted in May-June 2020) found no difference in self-reported diagnosed/suspected COVID-19 between never, current and former e-cigarette users. 10 Compared with these previous investigations, our study analyzed a clinical cohort (ie, patient seeking medical care) and used self -reported e-cigarette use data that were confirmed and documented in an EHR by a clinician. 6 Also, COVID-19 diagnosis in our study was confirmed using a diagnostic PCR test.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electronic Cigarette Use Is Not Associated with COVID-19 Diagnosis

Jose

Croghan

Hays

et al. 2021

J Prim Care Community Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This analysis tested the hypothesis that current e-cigarette use was associated with an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients seeking medical care. E-cigarette and conventional cigarette use were ascertained using a novel electronic health record tool, and COVID-19 diagnosis was ascertained by a validated institutional registry. Logistic regression models were fit to assess whether current e-cigarette use was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 diagnosis. A total of 69,264 patients who were over the age of 12 years, smoked cigarettes or vaped, and were sought medical care at Mayo Clinic between September 15, 2019 and November 30, 2020 were included. The average age was 51.5 years, 62.1% were females and 86.3% were white; 11.1% were currently smoking cigarettes or using e-cigarettes and 5.1% tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Patients who used only e-cigarettes were not more likely to have a COVID-19 diagnosis (OR 0.93 [0.69-1.25], P = .628), whereas those who used only cigarettes had a decreased risk (OR 0.43 [0.35-0.53], P < .001). The OR for dual users fell between these 2 values (OR 0.67 [0.49-0.92], P = .013). Although e-cigarettes have the well-documented potential for harm, they do not appear to increase susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. This result suggests the hypothesis that any beneficial effects of conventional cigarette smoking on susceptibility are not mediated by nicotine.

show abstract

“… 8 With regard to susceptibility to COVID-19 and severity of disease, the data remain conflicting. 9 - 12 An article published by Gaiha et al 13 in July 2020, concluded that COVID-19 was “five times more likely among ever users of c-cigarettes and 7 times more likely amongst dual users.” However, another study found that using e-cigarettes did not pose an increased risk for COVID-19. 14 There have been several letters and publications 15 , 16 which have been critical of the quality of data and analysis used by Gaiha et al 13 Aside from the content and potential harms of e-cigarettes, sharing of vaping devices has been raised as a potential concern for the spread of COVID-19.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symptoms COVID 19 Positive Vapers Compared to COVID 19 Positive Non-vapers

McFadden

Bornstein

Vassallo

et al. 2022

J Prim Care Community Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to assess and describe the severity of symptoms reported by Covid-19 positive patients who vaped (smoked e-cigarettes) when compared to those who did not vape or smoke at the time of the diagnosis of Covid-19. Methods: Patients from this study are from a well-characterized patient cohort collected at Mayo Clinic between March 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021; with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis defined as a positive result on reverse-transcriptase–polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assays from nasopharyngeal swab specimens. Among the 1734 eligible patients, 289 patients reported current vaping. The cohort of vapers (N = 289) was age and gender matched to 1445 covid-19 positive patients who did not vape. The data analyzed included: date of birth, gender, ethnicity, race, marital status, as well as lifestyle history such as vaping and smoking and reported covid-19 symptoms experienced. Results: A logistic regression analysis was performed separately for each symptom using generalized estimating equations (GEE) with robust variance estimates in order to account for the 1:5 age, sex, and race matched set study design. Patients who vaped and developed Covid-19 infection were more likely to have chest pain or tightness (16% vs 10%, vapers vs non vapers, P = .005), chills (25% vs 19%, vapers vs non vapers, P = .0016), myalgia (39% vs 32%, vapers vs non vapers, P = .004), headaches (49% vs 41% vapers vs non vapers, P = .026), anosmia/dysgeusia (37% vs 30%, vapers vs non vapers, P = .009), nausea/vomiting/abdominal pain (16% vs 10%, vapers vs non vapers, P = .003), diarrhea (16% vs 10%, vapers vs non vapers, P = .004), and non-severe light-headedness (16% vs 9%, vapers vs non vapers, P < .001). Conclusion: Vapers experience higher frequency of covid-19 related symptoms when compared with age and gender matched non-vapers. Further work should examine the impact vaping has on post-covid symptom experience.

show abstract

Associations between vaping and Covid-19: Cross-sectional findings from the HEBECO study

Cited by 38 publications

References 37 publications

‘I Was Smoking a Lot More during Lockdown Because I Can’: A Qualitative Study of How UK Smokers Responded to the Covid-19 Lockdown

‘I Was Smoking a Lot More during Lockdown Because I Can’: A Qualitative Study of How UK Smokers Responded to the Covid-19 Lockdown

Electronic Cigarette Use Is Not Associated with COVID-19 Diagnosis

Symptoms COVID 19 Positive Vapers Compared to COVID 19 Positive Non-vapers

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About