Young Vapers 5 Times More Prone To Contracting Coronavirus, Study Shows

Young people who love to use e-cigarettes take note. A new study has found that teens who use e-cigs face a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.

The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health on Tuesday, noted that young adults and teens who use both e-cigs and regular cigarettes were seven times more likely to contract COVID-19 while those purely on e-cigs are five times more vulnerable than non-vapers.

The researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine revealed that vaping is not just a small risk when it comes to coronavirus.

Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, the senior author of the study and a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University in California, expressed surprise at the outcome of the study. He indicated that initially, they did expect a certain relationship between vaping among teens and coronavirus, but they were taken aback at the ratios that the study revealed.

Halpern-Fisher described the appalling results as "really, really high numbers." He then underscored that people must realize the danger of e-cigarettes and that these are not simply "harmless, flavored water."

The scientists looked at the possible link between COVID-19 in adolescents and vaping. They conducted a survey of more than 4,351 participants, coming from all 50 U.S. states, three U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. The age group of respondents was between 13 to 24, NBC News reported.

Among the participants who got tested, those who used e-cigarettes were five times at a higher risk of getting infected with the coronavirus. Those who used both e-cigarettes and the tobacco-based cigarettes had a seven times higher risk of being diagnosed with COVID-19.

Halpern-Fisher reiterated that it is already widely known how vaping can affect the lungs as well as create a negative impact on the immune system. Worse, e-cigarettes may make it easier for SARS-CoV-2 to get into the cells.

The author said that behaviors related to vaping all pose a risk of transmission. These young adults may share e-cigarettes and in the process, an infected teen can transmit the virus inadvertently. Exhaling the vapor, which may contain the virus, could also possibly lead to another avenue for transmission.

Because of the appalling findings of the study, U.S. lawmakers now called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove e-cigarettes from the market until the pandemic is over.