Coronavirus Covid-19 and electronic cigarettes

Is e-cigarette smoking related to the new coronavirus? How does e-cigarette affect the health of users?

Since August 2019, the U.S. CDC, FDA, state and local health departments, and other agencies have been investigating whether there is a relationship between national e-cigarette (or atomization) and product use to increase the risk of COVID-19.

The researchers analyzed all patients with fatal or non-fatal e-cigarettes or nebulized products-related lung injuries reported to the CDC as of January 7, 2020. The researchers also provided 3 case reports of patients who died of lung injury related to e-cigarettes or aerosol products to illustrate the common clinical characteristics of such patients.

Most cases of lung injury related to e-cigarettes or aerosol products are men (32 of the 60 deaths were men, accounting for 53%; of the 2666 non-deaths, 1666 were men, accounting for 67%).

Among fatal cases, the proportion of 35 years and older is higher (44 out of 60 cases, accounting for 73%). Among the non-death cases, the proportion of people aged 35 and over is low (551 in 2514, accounting for 22%).

The proportion of underlying diseases in death cases is higher than that in non-death cases. For example, 23% of death cases have a history of asthma, and the proportion of non-death cases is 8%. Heart disease occurred in 47% of deaths and 10% of non-death cases. 65% of deaths had a history of mental illness, and 41% of non-death cases had a history of mental illness. 52% of the deaths were obese.

So far, the relationship between COVID-19 and e-cigarettes is still confusing, and age and physical fitness account for a large proportion. There is no direct evidence that e-cigarette smoking is directly related to COVID-19.

In March 2021, Dr. Graham Kerby, a research expert on the relationship between smoking and chronic diseases, said that many recent reports indicate that compared with people who do not smoke e-cigarettes, people who smoke e-cigarettes have an increased risk of developing acute respiratory symptoms of the new coronavirus; and Compared with people who smoke regular cigarettes, people who smoke e-cigarettes have a greatly increased risk of contracting the new coronavirus.

However, he is still cautious in confirming the results of these reports, saying that the reports “have not been fully confirmed.”

In the case of the global new crown virus infection situation, the e-cigarette industry has suffered a huge impact. The tobacco industry has been facing the situation. In the case of the global new crown virus infection situation, the e-cigarette industry has suffered a huge impact. The tobacco industry has been facing high taxes and the danger of being sued.

So is e-cigarette one of the important crimes leading to COVID-19? Today, let’s talk about the relationship between the two.

It can be said that until now, there is still no evidence to show how the use of e-cigarettes affects the infectiousness of the coronavirus COVID-19 and the progression of the disease. However, there is a lot of evidence that propylene glycol (one of the main components of e-liquid) has antibacterial and antiviral properties in aerosol form. In the face of high taxes and the danger of being sued.

So is e-cigarette one of the important crimes leading to COVID-19? Today, let’s talk about the relationship between the two.

It can be said that until now, there is still no evidence to show how the use of e-cigarettes affects the infectiousness of the coronavirus COVID-19 and the progression of the disease. However, there is a lot of evidence that propylene glycol (one of the main components of e-liquid) has antibacterial and antiviral properties in aerosol form.

Below is a list of studies in the 40s:

• Henle W, Zellat J. Effect of propylene glycol aerosol on airborne influenza virus. Proc Soc Exper Biol Med 1941; 48: 544.
• Robertson OH, Loosli CG, Puck TT, Bigg E, Miller BF. Protecting mice from airborne influenza with propylene glycol vapor. Science 1941; 94: 612.
• Harris TH, Stokes Jr. J. Effect of propylene glycol vapor on the incidence of respiratory infections in convalescent homes: preliminary observations. Am J Med Sci 1942; 204: 430.
• Harris TH, Stokes Jr. J. Airborne cross infection in the case of colds: a further clinical study on the use of propylene glycol vapor for air sterilization. Am J Med Sci 1943; 200: 631.
• Robertson OH, Bigg E, Puck TT, Miller BF, Technical Assistance of Elizabeth A. Appell. Bactericidal effect of propylene glycol vapors on microorganisms suspended in the air. I. J Exp Med 1942; 75: 593 610.
• Puck TT, Robertson OH, Lemon HM. Bactericidal action of propylene glycol vapors on microorganisms suspended in the air: II. influence of various factors on steam activity. J Exp Med 1943; 78: 387 406.

Risk of infection from a vaper

It is impossible to get infected with any currently known virus or pathogen from liquid for electronic cigarettes, because it heats up to 180-220 degrees Celsius, at these temperatures they cease to function as macromolecules and split into tiny fragments.

But that won’t stop transmission from an infected bather. The droplets of saliva that carry the virus are much heavier than the rapidly moving, volatile droplets of exhaled vapor. Consequently, vapors exhaled by an infected vaper can spread as many viruses as during normal breathing in the personal breathing zone, but much less than when they sneeze or cough.

Therefore, it is important to observe the measures of “social distancing”.

What about regular cigarettes?

The relationship between cigarette smoking and complications from COVID-19 is still uncertain, although the conditions for the development of complications (cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes) strongly correlate with the long-term effects of smoking. We can definitely say that the coronavirus is not afraid of cigarettes, because there are no facts about the mechanisms of how cigarettes can kill virus molecules with their composition (the content of propylene glycol for wetting tobacco is extremely small).

There are clinical observations that a complete transition from smoking cigarettes to vaping improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of respiratory diseases, doctors give vapers a better prognosis for coronavirus infection.

Research on this topic:

• Hartmann-Boyce J, McRobbie H, Bullen C, Begh R, Stead L, Hajek P. Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2016 Issue 9. Art. No .: CD010216.
• Peter Hajek, Ph.D., Anna Phillips-Waller, B. Sc., Dunja Przulj, et al. A randomized trial of e-cigarettes versus nicotine replacement therapy. N Engl J Med 2019; 380: 629-637 DOI: 10.1056 / NEJMoa1808779

General recommendations:

Don’t go back to smoking cigarettes (vaping is the lesser evil);

If you like vaping and do not smoke, try to vape less often, thereby reducing the possible risk of illness;

Avoid large clouds in public areas (even outdoors);

Use low-power devices when possible and when others are nearby. The risk of spreading the virus in low-power devices is roughly equal to the risk of spreading the virus through normal seated breathing;

Try to stay at least 2 meters away from others.