Smoking and COVID-19 (multiple reviews)

Abstract

What is this? Smokers are more vulnerable to infectious diseases and smoking can worsen the prognosis of people with respiratory diseases, such as COVID-19. Findings from several relevant rapid reviews are summarised here. More details, including citations and links to the reviews, are available further down this page. What was found: The reviews found a paucity of data about smoking and COVID-19 but they suggest that smoking, which is an avoidable risk factor, was associated with worse outcomes for COVID-19 patients. The Grundy review of reviews (search done on 8 May 2020) found an increased risk of developing severe COVID-19 in patients who had ever smoked. The Patanavanich review (search done on 28 April 2020) found that smoking increases the risk of severe infection and complications related to COVID-19. Smokers were approximately twice as likely to progress to severe or critical disease or death.

The Farsalinos review (search done up to 25 April 2020) found that current smokers had a higher risk of adverse outcomes than non-smokers but a lower risk than former smokers. The Vardaras review (search done on 17 March 2020) reported that current or previous smokers with COVID-19 infection were more likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit, receive mechanical ventilation and die from the COVID-19 (compared to COVID-19 patients who did not smoke). [...]