Vaping may increase susceptibility to Covid infection: Study

New Delhi, February 27

Certain chemicals found in electronic cigarettes may make vapers more susceptible to COVID-19 infection, according to a study.

The liquid used in electronic cigarettes, called e-liquid, typically contains nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, and flavoured chemicals.

The study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, found propylene glycol/vegetable glycerine alone or along with nicotine enhanced COVID-19 infection through different mechanisms.

The researchers from the University of California (UC), Riverside in the US, also found that the addition of benzoic acid to e-liquids prevents the infection caused by propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, and nicotine.

“Users who vape aerosols produced from propylene glycol/vegetable glycerine 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,” said researcher Rattapol Phandthong.

The acidity or basicity of a substance is measured by its pH value.

The researchers obtained airway stem cells from human donors to produce a three dimensional tissue model of human bronchial epithelium. They then exposed the tissues to electronic cigarette aerosols to study their effect on S-CoV-2 infection.

They found that all tissues showed an increase in the amount of ACE2, a host cell receptor for the S-CoV-2 virus. Further, TMPRSS2, an enzyme essential for the virus to infect cells, was found to show increased activity in tissues exposed to aerosols with nicotine.

Professor Prue Talbot said that electronic cigarette users should be cautious about vaping as some products will increase their susceptibility toS-CoV-2 infection.

“It would probably be best for vapers to quit vaping for the protection of their health and to stop nicotine dependency,” Talbot said.