COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon, and so it is imperative that we look at how we can mitigate its effects on our health, and those around us, should we, or anyone we know, contract it.
Research is showing that young people – teenagers and young adults who vape are at a sizeable risk for contracting COVID-19.
A study by the Stanford University School of Medicine, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health – August 1l, 2020, notes that those who vape are at a 5-7 times greater risk of contracting COVID-19 than those who do not use e-cigarettes. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Ph.D., senior author of this study states that “Teens and young adults need to know that if you use e-cigarettes, you are likely at immediate risk of COVID-19 infection because you are damaging your lungs.”
Additionally, the lead author of the study, Shivani Mathur Gaiha, Ph.D, states “this study tells us pretty clearly that youth who are using vapes or are dual-using [e-cigarettes and cigarettes] are at elevated risk, and it’s not just a small increase in risk; it’s a big one..”
This is a wake-up call to young people.
Universities are switching course on in-person instruction to a hybrid or even virtual only due to COVID-19 outbreaks at their school, so this should be a serious concern for young people.
Please know that you are not immune from getting the Coronavirus. And again, whether you have symptoms or not, you could be an asymptomatic carrier of the disease – giving it to your roommate, girlfriend or boyfriend, siblings, parents, and grandparents.
Barb Dallavalle, MA, LP
NDC Counselor/CTTS
References:
Vaping linked to COVID-19 risk in teens and young adults | News Center | Stanford Medicine
