If you smoke or vape, your lungs could be more susceptible to a respiratory illness, such as COVID-19. People who smoke or vape are more likely to have pre-existing conditions, a compromised immune system and poorer lung health. As a result, they are more susceptible to contracting the virus that causes COVID-19 and are more likely to experience a more severe case.
Remember that COVID-19 is a respiratory virus that spreads through saliva or droplets that are expelled into the air. If you smoke or vape, remember to:
Maintain at least 2 metres of physical distance from others outside of your household.
Don’t share vapes or cigarettes.
Wash your hands often.
COVID-19 is a respiratory virus which spreads through saliva or the droplets produced when an infected person sneezes or coughs near other people or onto frequently touched surfaces. Smoking and vaping requires frequent hand to mouth contact, which means people who use these products may be more vulnerable to COVID-19 exposure. Sharing these products also increases the chance of spreading the virus. Not sharing these products and washing your hands frequently is key to slowing the spread of COVID-19.
For more information on hand washing and cough etiquette, visit the Stop the Spread page.
Smoking is known to decrease the body’s immunity making people who smoke more susceptible to lung and chest infections. As a result, it is likely that people who smoke are at higher risk for getting COVID-19 compared to someone who does not smoke. Although not as much is known about the effects of vaping, preliminary research does support that the damage done by vaping is similar to that of smoking. Therefore, it is possible that vaping could increase the risk of developing COVID-19.
COVID-19 is a respiratory virus that causes lung illness with mild to severe symptoms. Pre-existing lung disease or reduced lung capacity may greatly increase the severity of illness experienced. As a result, activities that reduce the ability of the body to use oxygen properly, like smoking and vaping, could put users at higher risk of complications from COVID-19.
The best thing someone can do to reduce their risk is quit.
Being exposed to secondhand smoke has always been dangerous. Just like smoking, secondhand smoke lowers immunity and lung function, and affects cardiovascular health. As a result, it is likely that people who breathe in secondhand smoke regularly will be more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 and are at an increased risk of developing more serious complications from the virus.
Research has only begun to study the health effects of secondhand vapour so not enough is known to confirm whether COVID-19 can travel in exhaled vapour and infect another person. Based on what is known, exhaled vapour does not travel far so even if COVID-19 was present, the spread into the environment would be far less compared to that of coughing or sneezing.
Quitting smoking and breaking the addiction to tobacco industry products isn’t easy but it’s the best thing you can do to protect your health. Visit DontQuitQuitting.ca or SmokersHelpline.ca for support with your quit attempt.
Now is a good time to quit. If you’d like to learn more about smoking or vaping, visit the Smoking, Vaping and Tobacco page.
