The Effects of Vaping and COVID-19

Contemporary Clinic®spoke with Bethany Rettberg, NPC, family nurse practitioner at CVS Minute Clinic, about vaping and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Rettberg said that even with the first emergence of e-cigarettes over a decade ago, the popularity has been growing ever since, with the biggest jump from 2011 to 2015 with a 900% of use for vaping products.

Rettberg discussed an in-depth analysis of how the e-cigarettes and vapes contain pro-inflammatory cytotoxic reactions in respiratory tissue, which correlates with COVID-19.

“Smokers are already kind of taking away their first line of defense by smoking or vaping,” Rettberg said. “Then, if you do get COVID-19 and you add that on to it, COVID-19 is pro-inflammation, cytotoxic…it will cause the same results. It kind of adds fuel to an already smoldering fire.”

Rettberg also discussed how individuals can stay aware of the implications of COVID-19 with severe respiratory issues, allergy season, and advice for how to stop vaping and smoking.