Study finds smoking linked to increased risk of Covid-19 symptoms

 

 A new study conducted by researchers from King’s College London (KCL) has found that smoking is associated with an increased risk of contracting COVID-19 symptoms.
Researchers analysed data from 2.4-million people collected by the ZOE Covid Symptom Study App. Out of the participants that provided information, 11% were smokers. While this figure is a lower proportion than the overall UK population of smokers, which is around 14.7%, it does reflect the demographics of the self-selected sample of the ZOE COVID Symptom Study.
During the study, which took place between March 24 and April 24, 2020, more than a third of all participants reported they did not feel well, while smokers were 14% more likely to develop classic COVID-19 symptoms, including a fever, persistent cough and shortness of breath – compared to non-smokers.

The study also found that smokers were 29% more likely to report more than five symptoms associated with COVID-19 and 50% more likely to report more than ten, including loss of smell, skipping meals, diarrhoea, fatigue, confusion or muscle pain.
“Some reports have suggested a protective effect of smoking on COVID-19 risk. However, studies in this area can easily be affected by biases in sampling, participation and response. Our results clearly show that smokers are at increased risk of suffering from a wider range of COVID-19 symptoms than non-smokers,” said Dr Mario Falchi, Reader for the School of Life Course Sciences.
Additionally, smokers who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were more than twice as likely to be admitted to hospital when compared to non-smokers.
Researchers involved in the study have since recommended that a smoking ban or cessation strategy be implemented to address the surge in COVID-19 cases in the UK, as smoking increased both the likelihood of symptomatic disease and disease severity.