Why vaping might increase your risk of getting COVID-19
How the virus gets into cells
Viruses can’t replicate outside of a host cell – in order to get in, they need to attach onto a specific receptor. The more receptors present in our bodies, the greater our susceptibility to infection. SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, attaches to a receptor called ACE-2.
Studies have shown people who smoke haveincreased expressionof ACE-2 on lung cells, a change largely driven bynicotine exposure. So it seems likely that a similar mechanism may be at play when lung cells are exposed to nicotine-containing vape.
Vaping damages your lungs
E-cigarettes candirectly damagelung cells. This damage is likely to lead to reduced lung function and leave you more susceptible to lung infections, including COVID-19.
The lungs are constantly exposed to the viruses and bacteria that we breathe in, and it’s important that the immune system acts promptly to remove these. But vaping damages key immune cells such asmacrophagesand monocytes, which recognize and respond to invading pathogens. This makes it harder for the body toeffectively respondto infections.
Research in our group showed that exposing already harmful lung pathogens to vape made them more virulent, andcause more inflammation. For some bacteria, the observed effect was greater when exposed to vape, compared to cigarette smoke. Increasingly we are seeing evidence that e-cigarettes make it harder for the lungs to effectively fight infection, while at the same time increasing inflammation in a way which eventually causes damage to the lungs.
Should I stop vaping?
This study should come as a stark warning to vapers, and in particular young people, about the risk of vaping, particularly against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic.
We need to move away from ambiguous public health messaging around vaping, in which we suggest that it’s “safer” than smoking. This, oftengovernment-led narrative, suggests that vaping is predominantly used to help people quit smoking. But the numbers of people vaping who have never smoked are increasing steadily.
It further fails to acknowledge the danger of vaping on its own and the hazards associated with people who both smoke cigarettes and vape. The coronavirus pandemic isn’t going away any time soon: we need to understand where the risks lie, and develop strategies to reduce our risk.
This article is republished fromThe ConversationbyDeirdre Gilpin, Lecturer, School of Pharmacy,Queen’s University Belfastunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.
Story byThe Conversation
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