The Risk of Coronavirus – What You Should Know about Vaping and Smoking

The Risk of Coronavirus - What You Should Know about Vaping and Smoking

Vaping had already become a popular phenomenon even before the current COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals were vaping almost everywhere in the world. The increasing rates of electronic cigarette usage were a significant concern for health experts. But, increasing vaping rates among teens was the most worrying thing for health experts. 

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Unlike smoking, vaping risks haven’t been fully known. Experts were worried about the possibility of side effects outweighing the positives. But, vaping popularity kept growing among individuals of all ages worldwide. 

Nevertheless, this could change since the declaration of COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has affected everybody. Although you can find an individual that still uses the best e-nail or another device to vape, some are worried that vaping might increase the overall risk of getting this coronavirus. 

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Even in places that do not have major lockdowns, most people fear catching the coronavirus. Additionally, individuals are being urged to avoid crowded places and stay at home to play a role in curbing the spread of this virus. 

As such, some individuals who considered vaping a social activity are no longer hanging out with friends. They are not comfortable with the notion of spending their time together or sharing their vaping devices because such behavior can increase their coronavirus risk.

Smoking and the Coronavirus Risk 

Experts have already highlighted smoking as a risk factor for several respiratory illnesses, including cold, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and influenza. This habit weakens a person’s immune system, thereby making it more susceptible to these diseases. 

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Additionally, experts have linked smoking to the contraction of acute respiratory distress syndrome. This complication is major for COVID-19, particularly among individuals with infections that affect their respiratory system. 

According to the World Health Organization, traditional cigarette smoking exacerbates the severity of most coronavirus disease symptoms. Studies are still undergoing. However, early investigations indicate that the smokers’ risk of having severe COVID-19 cases is higher. When a smoker develops COVID-19, they’ll most likely need mechanical ventilation, intensive care admission, and even suffering severe health effects are higher.   

Vaping and Coronavirus Risk  

Vaping started in around 2013. That was the moment when the first generation of e-cigarettes was properly promoted in the market. Manufacturers of these devices promoted them as safer and healthier alternatives to traditional cigarette smoking.  

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Today, some individuals use vaping devices like e nails to heat, vaporize, and inhale substances like CBD, THC, and wax. But, vaping devices are smokeless. That means a vaper does not inhale any smoke. This makes some individuals consider vaping a safer and healthier alternative to the usual traditional smoking. 

However, some health experts have always refuted this initial claim. What’s more, early research has indicated that vaping might have similar hazards with smoking traditional cigarettes. For instance, vaping most tobacco products or even marijuana can have damaging effects on a person’s lungs. Experts have established that coronavirus also damages the patient’s lungs. 

As such, vaping can lead to serious complications for individuals that get coronavirus. Therefore, health experts are telling people to stop vaping. And, vapers can do it even temporarily. Some have even urged their governments to issue a temporary ban on vape sales. 

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Lung Damage  

Most people with underlying health issues develop complications after catching this virus. Examples of these conditions are heart and lung diseases. Preliminary investigation has shown that 98% of the hospitalized patients that eventually died and 78% of those taken to the ICUs had at least one major health problem. 

Essentially, experts are still trying to find out if vaping and traditional cigarette smoking can increase the COVID-19 risk. However, preliminary investigations indicate that individuals with a vaping or smoking past are up to 14 times more likely to get complications if they contract COVID-19. This should be scary for individuals who are still vaping or smoking at the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Even before this pandemic, experts had announced that even if an individual could use the best enail, their lungs could be damaged. It can also lead to the inflammation response by their lungs. Health experts have announced that vaping and traditional cigarette smoking increases an individual’s susceptibility to different respiratory infections. It also delays recovery when a person contracts COVID-19. As such, vaping or smoking at the time of this pandemic is disastrous. 

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Coronavirus infection causes interstitial pneumonia. This causes swelling between the lung’s crucial air sacs. Consequently, oxygen uptake reduces within the lungs. An individual whose normal functioning of the lungs is at a100% has a higher chance of survival with a supplemental supply of oxygen when this is cut by half by this infection. But a person whose lung capacity has been reduced to 60% by smoking or vaping will be in serious trouble if this is cut by half when they contract this disease. 

Vaping Rituals Makes People More Susceptible to Coronavirus 

Most people use their hands to hold the electric dab nail or any other vaping device. They also touch their mouth, eyes, and noses with the same hands and fingers. Unfortunately, these openings are the key entry points for this virus. 

And because vaping is a social activity, most people engage in it in a group. After smoking or vaping for a long time, most people start to cough more often. They also breathe out heavy smoke or vapor that may disperse droplets from their respiratory systems. That means if one vaper or smoker is infected with the virus, catching it is higher among smokers and vapers. 

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This should be a reason to quit vaping or traditional cigarette smoking, especially in a group. Health experts have revealed that this virus is transmissible via sneezing, coughing, or even breathing. 

The Bottom Line

You can assume that using a clean wax rig will prevent you from contracting the novel coronavirus. However, vaping can damage your lungs regardless of the device that you use. If you engage in social vaping, your chances of contracting COVID-19 are higher because you can inhale respiratory droplets from an infected person. Thus, the best way to avoid catching the novel coronavirus or complications if you catch it is to quit smoking even if you do it temporarily.

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