An International Review of Tobacco Use and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining Hospitalization, Asymptomatic Cases, and Severity

  1. Lachezar L. Balabanski

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Abstract

Background and objectives

Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of imminent concern in March 2020, the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and its related disease (COVID-19) has become a topic of much needed research. This study primarily focused on what effect smoking had on hospitalization; however, asymptomaticity, and severity were discussed.

Data

Data was collected through searches on databases including PubMed and Google Scholar. Eligibility criteria included being RT-PCR verified and including smoking data.

Discussion

This study found that smokers were significantly underrepresented in COVID-19 hospitalization on a purely epidemiological level in some areas, including China and Manhattan, but not others: Seattle, Greater New York City Area, and Italy. Furthermore, smokers were equally represented in asymptomatic populations, but smokers will likely experience a more severe manifestation of the disease if they are symptomatic. Further inquiry into possible mechanisms by which the observed epidemiological effect is necessary, as it has implications for recommendations on loosening restrictions on social distancing measures.

Conclusions and Recommendations

This study recommends that smokers consider themselves to be at higher risk for COVID-19, as they may experience a more severe manifestation of the disease. Health care providers and policy makers should consider smokers at higher risk as well, as there is evidence to claim that smokers may contract a more severe form of COVID-19.

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  1. ScreenIT

    SciScore for 10.1101/2020.06.12.20129478: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    Institutional Review Board Statementnot detected.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    Firstly, data was acquired by search query for, “clinical characteristics of COVID-19,”, “SARS-CoV-2 clincal features,” or for “[SARS-COV-2 OR COVID-19] AND [smoking OR tobacco]” and related terms through the databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar.
    PubMed
    suggested: (PubMed, RRID:SCR_004846)
    Google Scholar
    suggested: (Google Scholar, RRID:SCR_008878)
    All statistical tests were performed using Microsoft Excel.
    Microsoft Excel
    suggested: (Microsoft Excel, RRID:SCR_016137)

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).

    Results from LimitationRecognizer: An explicit section about the limitations of the techniques employed in this study was not found. We encourage authors to address study limitations.

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.

    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.

    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.

    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.

  2. Version published to 10.1101/2020.06.12.20129478v1 on medRxiv