Vaping's Impact on COVID Symptoms

Some think e-cigarettes are safer than the “real” thing. For those who have COVID, however, users of e-cigarettes are more likely to experience symptoms at a higher frequency. About the study published in Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, coauthor David McFadden, MD, a Mayo Clinic internist, commented, “We interviewed more than 280 COVID-positive vapers and compared them with 1,445 COVID-positive people of the same age and gender, and who don't vape. All of these common COVID symptoms were reported more frequently among people who vape."

The symptoms experienced included muscles aches and pain, headaches, nausea and vomiting, chest pain, diarrhea, and a loss of smell/taste. One reason vapers may have more symptoms more frequently is due to the inflammation in the lungs that vaping may cause; in some vapers, severe lung injury occurs. Below are the percentages of patients experiencing symptoms, in vapers vs nonvapers:

• Chest pain or tightness: 16% vs 10%
• Chills: 25% vs 19%
• Myalgia: 39% vs 32%
• Loss of smell/taste: 37% vs 30%,
• Headaches: 49% vs 41%
• Nausea/vomiting/abdominal pain: 16% vs 10%
• Diarrhea: 16% vs 10%

 

Read the journal article.

Read the press release.

Other Categories:

• COVID/coronavirus

• headache

• inflammation