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Riverside, California – February 28, 2024
While the adverse effects of tobacco smoking on Covid-19 outcomes are well-documented, a new study from the University of California, Riverside, sheds light on the heightened susceptibility of vapers to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Published in the American Journal of Physiology, the study found that electronic cigarettes, which typically contain an e-liquid comprising nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and flavor chemicals, can increase the risk of Covid-19 infection among users.
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, discovered that propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, whether alone or combined with nicotine, enhance Covid infection through various mechanisms. However, the addition of benzoic acid to e-liquids prevents infection caused by propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and nicotine.
Rattapol Phandthong, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology at the university, explained, “Users who vape aerosols produced from propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin alone or e-liquids with a neutral to basic pH are more likely to be infected by the virus, while users who vape aerosols made from e-liquids with benzoic acid — an acidic pH — will have the same viral susceptibility as individuals who do not vape.”
To conduct the study, the research team obtained airway stem cells from human donors to create a 3D tissue model of human bronchial epithelium. These tissues were then exposed to JUUL and BLU electronic cigarette aerosols to observe the effect on SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Their findings revealed an increase in the amount of ACE2, a host cell receptor for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, in all tissues exposed to e-cigarette aerosols. Additionally, TMPRSS2, an enzyme crucial for the virus to infect cells, showed increased activity in tissues exposed to aerosols containing nicotine.
Prue Talbot, a professor at the university, urged caution among e-cigarette users, emphasizing that certain products can heighten susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. “It would probably be best for vapers to quit vaping for the protection of their health and to stop nicotine dependency,” she advised.
Phandthong further cautioned, “It is worth bearing in mind that the scientific literature has shown that a vaper who contracted SARS-CoV-2 has more complications during the recovery period and is more likely to develop long Covid-19, which can be serious and last many months post-infection. We hope our findings encourage vapers to stop vaping and discourage non-users from starting to vape.”
The study underscores the importance of understanding the potential risks associated with vaping, especially amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and emphasizes the need for further research to elucidate the relationship between e-cigarette use and viral infections.
