No Surprise, but Confirmed: Smoking and COPD Are Linked to Higher COVID-19 Mortality

Patients with COVID-19 who are also current or former smokers or who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are at greater risk for severe complications and mortality than other COVID-19 patients, according to a study just published in the journal PLOS ONE. In analyzing data from 15 studies reflecting 2,473 patients with confirmed COVID-19, the researchers found that patients with COPD were at a higher risk of more severe disease (risk of severity = 63% compared with patients without COPD [33.4%]). This, in turn, was associated with higher mortality (60%). Further, 22% of current smokers and 46% of ex-smokers had severe complications. The calculated risk ratio showed that current smokers were 1.45 times more likely to have severe complications. Current smokers also had a higher mortality rate (by 38%).