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Does vaping make you more vulnerable to severe infection from the novel coronavirus? This is a question asked by many medical researchers.

Emerging Studies Indicate Vaping Increases The Risk Of Severe Coronavirus Problems

Some doctors on the front lines of coronavirus treatment believe vaping may be a factor in the rising number of young people hospitalized for serious coronavirus issues. How does vaping affect the human body to create coronavirus risks?

Both smoking and vaping cause lung damage and inflammation. These conditions make it easier for the coronavirus to invade lung tissue and cause infection. These conditions also create issues with recovery from infections. I’ll mention three recent articles that discuss emerging research into the relationship between vaping and severe coronavirus injury.

The first article is in Scientific American. This article discusses developing research into the relationship between vaping and serious problems from COVID-19. While the article notes research into this issue is just now developing, it also cites lots of existing research into other viral respiratory infections. Prior research shows smoking is a known risk factor for other respiratory viral infections like influenza. Because vaping or smoking inflames the lungs and suppresses immune function, this is certainly an issue to study in light of COVID-19.

The second article was published by the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). The article begins with this sentence:

When someone’s lungs are exposed to flu or other infections the adverse effects of smoking or vaping are much more serious than among people who do not smoke or vape.

The research indicates e-cigarette users have both an increased susceptibility to respiratory infections and a delayed recovery from them. The  UCSF paper also provides a current summary of the beginning research on the topic:

As of April 16, 2020 there were 12 papers that had data on smoking and COVID disease progression, 10 from China, 1 from Korea, and 1 from the US.  Our meta-analysis of these 12 papers found that smoking was associated with more than a doubling of odds of disease progression in people who had already developed COVID.

The third article is in the Daily Mail. I cite it third because the newspaper has a questionable reputation. The article cites a single Chinese study. In that study, current and former smokers were 14 times more likely to develop severe coronavirus infections. In addition to lung damage, e-cigarettes create other issues with our immune systems that can also foster infection and hinder recovery. While I question the reliability of this paper’s overall reporting, the article does provide a good quote explaining how vaping causes lung damage. It is:

Both smoking and vaping damage the lungs and immune system in several ways. For one, they hurt the tiny hairlike structures, called cilia, in the lungs and upper respiratory tract, that act like a filtration system, catching toxins and expelling them.

With those cilia handicapped or disabled, viruses like COVID-19 can get deeper into the lungs, where they may cause pneumonia and more severe illness.

As we face continuing issues with COVID-19 infections, we need to understand that dangerous and defective products like JUUL and other e-cigarettes may contribute to additional health problems from the coronavirus. We need to take steps to prevent further injury from this dangerous product.

Vaping Is A Dangerous Addiction That Puts Youth And Young Adults At Risk

I previously wrote an article on JUUL which you can find on the Hot Topics section of our law firm website. Our law firm has been investigating potential cases involving JUUL which result in either (1) severe addiction of youth / young adults; or, (2) lung injuries among JUUL users. You can read my in-depth article by clicking the link.

Our office typically focuses on a few dangerous products at a time. We focus so that we can really study the product and learn the science behind its danger. With kids in school, I initially became interested in JUUL after learning how many of our youth are using and addicted to the product. It has been eye-opening to learn how JUUL use is so widespread in our local schools here in Huntsville and across northern Alabama. I believe a lot of parents who grew up in an age when cigarette smoking was declining, do not understand the impact of vaping. These parents also may not understand that by design, the JUUL product does not look like a cigarette. Rather, it is designed in a manner that often evades detection from parents and teachers.

JUUL specifically marketed its product to our youth. Almost every aspect of the company’s marketing and distribution is geared toward hooking a new generation of Americans into nicotine addiction. From the design of the product itself, to the marketing campaigns aimed at youth, to the distribution network gained through an investment by Altria (Marlboro Cigarettes), JUUL devices are aimed at addicting our youth. I discuss a number of those issues in my Hot Topics report.

JUUL Products Are Inherently Dangerous And Defective

A new generation of nicotine-addicted Americans. Serious lung injuries. Increased risks of infection by viruses like COVID-19. Susceptibility to damage from illnesses or infections. Do cigarettes or e-cigarettes have any redeeming or valuable purpose? No. They do not.

At our office, we are closely studying research as it is released. When our country finally emerges from the current pandemic, I believe subsequent studies will show that smoking and vaping contributed to infections, injuries and a lack of recovery from COVID-19. I believe this will be especially true for our youth who are the targets of JUUL.

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At the Blackwell Law Firm, we help people across Alabama who have suffered a serious personal injury. If you have questions about a legal matter or personal injury, let us know. All consultations are free and confidential.