Heavy smokers run almost DOUBLE risk of being admitted to hospital due to COVID-19 or dying compared to people who have never smoked, the study finds
- Researchers looked at more than 7,000 coronavirus patients, including more than 6,000 never-smokers and the rest are current or former smokers.
- Patients who smoked at least one pack per day between the ages of 10 and 30 were almost 1.5 times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID-19
- Those who consumed one pack a day for more than 30 years were 2.25 times more likely to be hospitalized due to the disease
- Patients who smoked for more than 30 years were 1.9 times more likely to die from the virus than those who had never smoked.
Cigarette smokers have a much higher risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19 compared to those who have never smoked, a new study indicates.
Researchers found that all smokers were more likely to have bad outcomes due to the virus, but those who had the highest risk were heavy smokers, defined as those who smoked at least one pack a day for more than 30 years.
These patients had almost double the risk of death due to COVID-19 and were likely to be hospitalized more than twice due to the disease.
The team, from the Cleveland Clinic, says the findings so far are the most complete evidence of a cause-and-effect link between smoking and an increased risk of serious illness and death.
A new study from the Cleveland Clinic found that patients who smoke one pack a day for more than 30 years (far right) are more likely to be hospitalized or die of COVID-19 than those who have never before ( far left) did not smoke.
Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic looked at more than 7,000 coronavirus patients, including more than 6,000 never-smokers and the rest are current or former smokers (file image)
Research linking smoking status to severe COVID-19 infection and death is limited and contradictory.
Early last year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that cigarettes could increase the risk of contracting the disease.
“People who smoke cigarettes have an increased risk of infection with the virus that causes COVID-19, and may get worse from COVID-19,” the agency said in a statement.
The FDA had earlier warned of ‘worse outcomes’ for coronavirus among smokers, but did not specify what it meant.
In addition, a French study found that only 4.4 percent of the 350 coronavirus patients admitted to the hospital were regular smokers and theorized that nicotine can prevent the virus from infecting cells.
For the new study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the team examined data for all patients who tested positive for COVID-19 within the Cleveland Clinic Health System in Ohio and Florida between March 8, 2020 and August 25, 2020.
Patients who smoked for more than 30 years were 1.9 times more likely to die from the virus than those who had never smoked. Pictured: Chaplain Kevin Deegan places his hand on the head of a COVID-19 patient as he prays for him on January 9, 2021 at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Of the 7,102 patients, the majority – 84.8 percent or 6,020 – had never smoked before.
Nearly 13 percent were former smokers and about 2.4 percent were current smokers.
A total of 341 smoked or smoked one pack per day between zero and ten years, 400 did so for 10 to 30 years and 341 smoked one pack per day for more than 30 years.
The results showed that the longer the risks for hospitalization and death, the longer patients smoked.
Patients who smoked at least one pack per day between the ages of 10 and 30 were nearly 1.5 times more likely to be admitted to the hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19 than patients who never smoked.
Those who consumed one pack per day for more than 30 years were 2.25 times more likely to be hospitalized due to the disease.
Both are also approximately 1.5 times more likely to be admitted to the ICU.
In terms of death risk, people who smoke for zero to ten years are 1.6 times more likely to die, and people who smoke for 10 to 30 years have a 1.5 times greater risk of dying than never-smokers.
For those who smoked at least one pack a day for more than 30 years, the patients were 1.9 times more likely to die.
The team said there is no difference in the risk of hospitalization and death between current and former smokers.
“The results of this study suggest that cumulative exposure to cigarette smoke is an independent risk factor for hospital admission and death due to COVID-19,” they wrote.