Current Smoking and COVID-19 Risk: Results from a Population Symptom App in Over 2.4 Million People.
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
Hopkinson
NS, Rossi N, El-Sayed Moustafa J, Laverty AA, Quint JK, Freidin M, Visconti A,
Murray B, Modat M, Ourselin S, Small K, Davies R, Wolf J, Spector TD, Steves
CJ, Falchi M.
Current Smoking and
COVID-19 Risk: Results from a Population Symptom App in Over 2.4 Million
People.
Thorax. 2021 Jul;76(7):714-722. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-216422. Epub 2021
Jan 5. PMID: 33402392; PMCID: PMC7789201.
Background.
The association between current tobacco smoking, the risk of developing
symptomatic COVID-19 and the severity of illness is an important information
gap.
Methods.
UK users of the Zoe COVID-19 Symptom Study app provided baseline data including
demographics, anthropometrics, smoking status and medical conditions, and were
asked to log their condition daily. Participants who reported that they did not
feel physically normal were then asked by the app to complete a series of
questions, including 14 potential COVID-19 symptoms and about hospital
attendance. The main study outcome was the development of 'classic' symptoms of
COVID-19 during the pandemic defined as fever, new persistent cough and
breathlessness and their association with current smoking. The number of
concurrent COVID-19 symptoms was used as a proxy for severity and the pattern
of association between symptoms was also compared between smokers and
non-smokers.
Results.
Between 24 March 2020 and 23 April 2020, data were available on 2 401 982
participants, mean (SD) age 43.6 (15.1) years, 63.3% female, overall smoking
prevalence 11.0%. 834 437 (35%) participants reported being unwell and entered
one or more symptoms. Current smokers were more likely to report symptoms
suggesting a diagnosis of COVID-19; classic symptoms adjusted OR (95% CI) 1.14
(1.10 to 1.18); >5 symptoms 1.29 (1.26 to 1.31); >10 symptoms 1.50 (1.42
to 1.58). The pattern of association between reported symptoms did not vary
between smokers and non-smokers.
Interpretation.
These data are consistent with people who smoke being at an increased risk of
developing symptomatic COVID-19.
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