COVID-19 and smoking: Does smoking reduce the risk of contamination?
Controversial clinical studies
Faced with the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 between late 2019 and early 2020, many scientific teams worldwide mobilized to identify risk and protective factors against COVID-19. Among the many hypotheses examined, some preliminary studies caused surprise by suggesting that smokers were proportionally fewer among patients testing positive or hospitalized for COVID-19, compared to the general population.
These results, primarily from retrospective analyses or hospital registries, suggested that nicotine might have a protective effect against the virus. Quickly relayed by the media, this hypothesis fueled some confusion in public opinion, sometimes perceived as a justification for continuing to smoke.
However, caution was advised from the very first interpretations. These studies were primarily observational and not experimental, meaning they did not allow for “establishing a cause-and-effect link. Furthermore, several confounding factors were quickly identified. For example, severely ill COVID-19 smokers were sometimes less likely to be correctly identified as such, due to incomplete or poorly documented medical data upon admission.”
Moreover, behavioral elements may have skewed the results: smokers, often aware of their respiratory vulnerability, may have avoided testing sites or minimized their symptoms, which would artificially reduce their presence in hospital statistics.
Finally, some of these studies were conducted in countries where tobacco consumption is highly stigmatized, which can lead to underreporting of smoking status, even in medical surveys. In summary, the methodology of these studies is largely questionable, and their results cannot in any way be used to justify or trivialize tobacco consumption in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A scientifically unconfirmed hypothesis
Despite the media interest generated by the idea that nicotine could have a protective effect against COVID-19, this hypothesis has never been rigorously validated by the international scientific community. The initial studies that suggested this link were very quickly questioned, particularly due to major methodological biases.
Several criticisms were raised: the studied population samples were “often neither representative nor large enough, the collected data were sometimes incomplete or poorly documented, and certain essential variables, such as the existence of comorbidities, lifestyle habits, or socioeconomic status, were not taken into account. Moreover, the screening methods used in these studies were often not very sensitive, which could lead to falsely reassuring results.”
Some of these publications were even withdrawn from scientific journals due to lack of peer validation or following additional checks revealing errors or hasty interpretations. Other studies, though conducted more rigorously, did not find a protective link between nicotine and SARS-CoV-2.
Today, no solid scientific evidence confirms that tobacco or nicotine reduce the risk of contamination or severe forms of COVID-19. On the contrary, the most reliable data available to date tend to confirm that smoking is a significant aggravating factor in the progression of the disease, due to its impact on the respiratory and immune systems.
Smoking and COVID-19: The risks are very real for smokers
Clear data from the WHO
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), smokers have a 40% to 50% higher risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19. This includes an increased likelihood of hospitalization, ventilation, intensive care admission, and even death. Other research estimates that this risk could be as high as 80% for heavy smokers.
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Tobacco, a recognized killer
In Algeria, tobacco remains one of the main preventable causes of mortality. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is responsible for over 15,000 deaths per year in the country. These alarming figures largely preceded the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the massive health impact of smoking.
Each cigarette contains over 4,000 harmful chemical substances, several of which are highly carcinogenic. Tobacco seriously harms health and is a triggering or aggravating factor for many chronic diseases:
– chronic bronchitis,
– recurrent respiratory infections,
– cancers (especially lung, throat, and bladder),
– high blood pressure,
– cardiovascular diseases,
– strokes (CVA),
– and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD).
These pathologies, already serious in themselves, also represent major comorbidities likely to significantly worsen the prognosis in case of COVID-19 infection.
Tobacco, a major aggravating factor in Algeria
In Algeria, smoking is a real public health issue. According to available data, nearly one in four adults is a smoker, with a particularly high prevalence among men. Tobacco is directly linked to the onset of serious chronic diseases, such as bronchitis, lung cancers, strokes (CVA), and high blood pressure.
These conditions, referred to as comorbidities, are known to significantly worsen the “progression of a COVID-19 infection. Contrary to some misconceptions, the link between tobacco and COVID-19 is far from protective: on the contrary, it exposes smokers to more severe forms of the disease and major respiratory complications.”
Smoker's habits increase transmission risks
Smoking and COVID-19: Protecting yourself means quitting smoking
The link between COVID-19 and smoking is now well-documented. Smoking increases the risk of developing severe, even fatal, forms of the disease. Indeed, smokers often have chronic respiratory conditions (bronchitis, COPD) and cardiovascular comorbidities (hypertension, heart attack, stroke) that make them particularly vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2.
In Algeria, this observation has been repeatedly highlighted by the Ministry of Health, particularly during successive waves of contamination. National and international experts warn that tobacco:
- impairs immune function,
- promotes respiratory complications,
- worsens clinical progression in case of COVID-19 infection.
During critical periods of the pandemic, Algerian hospitals experienced significant saturation, particularly in intensive care and oxygenation units. In this context, reducing the number of smokers represents a national health priority.
Smoking cessation therefore aims not only to protect individual health but also to relieve hospital structures and limit severe forms of the disease in a population already weakened by chronic diseases related to tobacco.
LaserOstop: a fast and effective solution to quit smoking
For rapid smoking cessation, without pain or weight gain, the laserOstop® method offers an innovative solution, effective from the first session. Based on photobiomodulation, this technique stimulates reflex points with a soft laser, reducing signals related to physical dependence.
Since 2020, over 500,000 smokers have quit using this method. Thousands more in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, France, and elsewhere have taken the plunge. The protocol is painless, has no side effects, and is suitable for all profiles, even during periods of stress or pandemic. Furthermore, the laserOstop® session is guaranteed for one year: if you resume smoking, you receive free additional support sessions to get back on the path to cessation.
Convinced that you deserve better health and better immunity against viruses? Our laserOstop® anti-smoking centers in Algeria welcome you in a safe and professional setting. Book your cessation session and act today for your health.
