Vaping Puts Teens at Greater Risk for COVID-19, Says Study

Long before we heard about the Coronavirus pandemic many doctors and parents were concerned about the epidemic of teen vaping.

Doctors have warned against the practice of inhaling nicotine from electronic cigarettes because they said the long-term effects of vaping were unknown.

But now a new study says those fears are warranted: vaping increases risk for COVID-19.

The study was published by the Stanford University School of Medicine. 

It found that among teens and young adults who were tested for COVID, those who had used e-cigarettes were five to seven times more likely to be infected with the virus than non-users.

Doctors say there are several possible reasons for these higher transmission rates for people who vape.

E-cigarettes can damage lungs and alter the immune system, and that could mean that each exposure to coronavirus is more likely to trigger an infection. 

Also, the higher risk could also be due to certain behaviors that go along with smoking: the hand-to-mouth contact or passing e-cigs between friends or a person just not wearing a mask because they are vaping.

Health officials say this new finding is important and they want young people to become more aware of this connection: Smoking and vaping puts a person at a much higher risk for getting COVID-19.

Visit HEALTH DOT M-N DOT GOV for the most up-to-date information on protecting yourself from the coronavirus.