COVID-19: a pandemic converged with global tobacco epidemic and widespread vaping—state of the evidence

This review highlights the convergence of three global health challenges at a crossroad where the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) meets the tobacco epidemic and vaping. It begins with an overview of the current knowledge on the biology, pathophysiology and epidemiology of COVID-19. It then presents the state of smoking and vaping during the pandemic by summarizing the published data on prevalence, use patterns, product availability/accessibility, sales records and motivation to quit before and after the start of the pandemic. It highlights the state of evidence on the association of tobacco product use with COVID-19 infection and transmission rates, symptom severity and clinical outcomes. Also discussed are proposed biological mechanisms and behavioral factors that may modulate COVID-19 risk in tobacco product users. Furthermore, competing hypotheses on the protective effect of nicotine against COVID-19 as well as the claimed ‘smokers’ paradox’ are discussed. Considerations and challenges of COVID-19 vaccination in tobacco product users are underscored. Collectively, the present data show an ‘incomplete’ but rapidly shaping picture on the association of tobacco product use and COVID-19 infection, disease course and clinical outcomes. Evidence is also growing on the mechanisms by which tobacco product use may contribute to COVID-19 pathophysiology. Although we await definitive conclusions on the relative risk of COVID-19 infection in tobacco product users, compelling data confirm that many comorbidities associated with/caused by smoking predispose to COVID-19 infection, severe disease and poor prognosis. Additionally, it is becoming increasing clear that should smokers get the disease, they are more likely to have serious health consequences.