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Recent Study Says Smoking and Vaping Increase Potential for SARS-CoV-2 Infection

A recent bioRxiv* preprint says that both smoking and vaping increase ACE2 levels and virus spike binding in airway epithelium, leading to a higher likelihood of contracting the virus.

Diane Caruana

March 7, 2022

Another study involving nearly 70,000 patients, concluded that e-cigarettes “do not appear to increase susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

Titled, “Combustible and electronic cigarette exposures increase ace2 activity and SARS-CoV-2 spike binding,” the non-peer reviewed study tested the hypothesis that combustible tobacco (e.g. cigarettes) and non-combustible e-cigarettes could affect ACE2 activity. The ACE2 is an enzyme believed to be responsible for an increased risk of contracting the SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The research team found that ACE2 activity was significantly higher in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from both smokers and vapers compared to age-matched non-smokers and non-vapers. Exposure to cigarette smoke increased ACE2 levels, mACE2 activity, and sACE2 in primary bronchial epithelial cultures. Finally, treatment with either cigarette smoke condensate or JUUL e-liquid increased infections with a spike-coated SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus. Overall, these observations suggest that tobacco product use elevates ACE2 activity and increases the potential for SARS-CoV-2 infection through enhanced spike protein binding.

Other data indicate otherwise

Meanwhile, another recent study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, titled “Electronic Cigarette Use Is Not Associated with COVID-19 Diagnosis” involved nearly 70,000 patients, and concluded that e-cigarettes “do not appear to increase susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

“For over a year, we’ve had to endure WHO’s latest round of orchestrated lies about vaping. Outrageously, various WHO briefings and materials on COVID have stated that ‘e-cigarette use may increase the risk of infection’, without offering any scientific basis whatsoever,” said Executive Coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) Nancy Loucas in response to the findings.

She added that thankfully, trusted media sources have given the Mayo Clinic study some visibility. “Thankfully, credible, trusted media sources such as Forbes have given this latest Mayo Clinic study the credit it’s due, headlining ‘No, Vaping Doesn’t Make You More Susceptible To Coronavirus’. Good on Forbes for profiling the evidence, not profiting from all the emotion.”