Smoking is bad for you. Duh! And this obviously includes risk of complications from COVID-19 infection.

In examining data from 107 registry-participating hospitals of people at least 18 years old hospitalized across the US from January 2020 to March 2021, researchers found that people who smoked were 45% more likely to die from COVID-19 and 39% more likely to end up on a mechanical ventilator compared to people who did not smoke. The results were independent of the patient’s age, sex, medical history, and medications. The link were even stronger for those who were also obese and smoked.

Smoking status was self-reported and smoking was considered either with traditional combustable cigarettes or e-cigarettes. The final results included 4,086 people.

“These findings provide the clearest evidence to date that people who smoke or vape have a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 and dying as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection,” stated author, Aruni Bhatnagar.

It’s very clear that by the time something happens to your health, no one can save you from your own years of self harm, including medical science. Just don’t smoke, including cigarettes and e-cigarettes. This isn’t difficult advice. Smoking is neither smart, healthy, nor sophisticated. It’s really a sign that you don’t care about yourself…or others around you. If you smoke, you need to do better for yourself.

R Poudel et al. Smoking is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events, disease severity, and mortality among patients hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 infections. PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270763