COVID-19 and Vaping – UK Health Experts Reveal the REAL Facts

COVID-19 and Vaping – UK Health Experts Once Again the Voice Of Reason

Rumours abound of a possible link of complications between COVID-19 and vaping – so are vapers really facing more of a threat from the pandemic?

The anti-vape brigade seems to think so, and has taken to social media in their droves suggesting vapers are at a higher risk from COVID-19.

However, that has been firmly challenged by a group of learned UK health experts who have responded with the cold hard facts.

As you’ve probably seen, this baseless scaremongering has been picked up by the mainstream media leading to a rash of sensationalist scare stories linking vaping to even more serious respiratory problems if contracting the coranavirus.

Even the FDA has weighed in suggesting vapers are at greater risk with a spokesman saying:

People with underlying health issues, such as heart or lung problems, may have increased risk for serious complications from Covid-19.

This includes people who smoke and/or vape tobacco or nicotine-containing products.

E-cigarettes can damage lung cells

That last line – as you will see – is utter BS!

They were joined by Dr. Humberto Choi, a pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic, who said:

It’s definitely possible that people who were vaping could be at higher risk of having infections, just like the COVID-19.

Read that carefully, and you’ll see it’s a shot in the dark based on NO scientific evidence whatsoever.

It all sounds scary enough, but even more so in these unprecedented times.

Long Term Study Shows Vapers Lungs Are HEALTHIER

However, the actual science rather than assumption, has proven vaping if anything lessens the risk of heart and lung issues with many vapers showing improved lung capacity and health very quickly when making the switch.

Take a look at just three of my articles on this subject for further proof:

• Lung Health – Vaping Is MUCH Safer Than Smoking
• Vaping and Heart Health – Scientists Slam Latest Scare Study
• Professor Riccardo Polosa – Long Term Study Shows MASSIVE Improvement In Vaper’s Lungs

The third linked article above covers the longest ever study into the effect e-cigarettes has on the lungs [3.5 years] and was led by Professor Riccardo Polosa, a world renowned expert in lung health and in particular asthma.

He recently told a committee of UK politicians the findings showed:

In the area of COPD we also discovered continued and regular use of these products reduced by 50% the number of respiratory exacerbation…

Professor Polosa’s study concluded:

Even the heaviest e-cigarette users failed to exhibit any evidence of emerging lung injury as reflected in these physiologic, clinical or inflammatory measures.

Moreover, no changes were noted in blood pressure or heart rate.

Based on that – surely you’d think those rabid anti-vaping groups would be urging smokers to make the switch to the 95% safer than smoking e-cigarettes, now more than ever before.

Nope…they are still blinded by their ignorant virtue signalling, and they’re scaring vapers to bloody death during one of the most trying times ever know.

And remember, this detailed and lengthy study was carried out on subjects who had never smoked!

Meaning before the vape study began, they had 100% healthy lungs – so common sense tells you IF vaping was as dangerous to lung health as is currently being touted – the results would have been obvious!

Shame on them.

Read the full study: Health impact of E-cigarettes: a prospective 3.5-year study of regular daily users who have never smoked

COVID-19 and Vaping – UK Health Experts Say Smokers MUST Switch Now

So what are the far more grounded and science based UK health experts saying about the risk of complications of COVID-19 and vaping?

As you might expect, and given we are consistently oceans apart from scientists in the USA in particular, whilst not ignoring the issue, they are instead using the cold hard science.

One thing is very clear – they all agree that smokers are at a high risk of COVID-19 complications – meaning now more than ever is a time to make the switch to e-cigarettes.

Dr James Gill, Locum GP & Honorary Clinical Lecturer, Warwick Medical School, is in a long line of UK health experts speaking out about the tenuous link between COVID-19 and vaping, and said:

People can make a huge contribution to their own protection against COVID19 by stopping smoking – even if it is simply during this pandemic.

Not only that, if you live with someone who smokes, you will be affected by their smoking, even if they go outside for their cigarette.

Stopping smoking will help protect yourself, the people around you, and potentially reduce the strain on the NHS too.

Vaping is also preferable to smoking due to the lack of tar and other toxic chemicals, however it is possible that the hot gases involved in vaping may also have a negative effect on the cilia and overall lungs function, although this is likely to be far less harmful to the body’s respiratory system than smoking.

Dr Tom Wingfield, Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Physician, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) said:

People who smoke regularly and for some years are more likely to have higher rates of hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, problems with their circulation, and chronic lung disease (lung damage and decreased lung capacity), all of which themselves are risk factors for severe Covid-19.

While the evidence on e-cigarettes is still developing, it is clear that vaping is far less harmful to the body’s respiratory system than smoking.

Dr Caitlin Notley, from the University of East Anglia and a long time researcher into the effects of vaping and health said:

E-cigarettes are the most popular consumer option for stop smoking support, and they are effective. People should be encouraged to switch to vaping rather than continuing to smoke tobacco.

There is no evidence that vaping increases the risk of infection or progression to severe conditions of COVID-19. However, Vapers with a long previous smoking history could exhibit conditions seen in vulnerable patients.

However, this would not be an effect of vaping but of previous smoking.

Since completely switching from smoking to vaping improves cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, smokers who switch to vaping might be expected to have a better prognosis if infected by COVID-19.

Dr Notley also makes the point that with more children at home during the lock down – smokers may be risking infection through passive smoking.

Science has proven beyond doubt there’s no such thing as passive vaping – despite what the anti-vape experts may tell you.

BTW – I’ll look at if indeed vapour clouds are likely to carry COVID-19 spores in a moment.

She is also voicing concern that vape shops are not deemed as ‘essential’ by the UK GOV saying:

It is concerning that vape shops have closed during the current societal lock down situation.

People who have stopped smoking and switched to vaping can still access the stop smoking service for support, and can still purchase e liquid and vaping consumables online, without having to come into contact with other people.

There are VERY many more UK health experts queuing up to tackle the fake news that COVID-19 and vaping is an issue – watch this space as this develops!

Is COVID-19 Transmitted Through Vape Clouds?

Last week I covered this with the suggestion that the only way the virus could be transmitted through a vape cloud was if the vaper coughed on the exhale.

However, Dr Neal Benowitz, an emeritus professor of medicine from California, played down the claim.

He says the droplets made from coughing and sneezing, are much larger than those in vapour clouds which disperse very quickly.

However he cautioned that vapers should take precautions if coughing on the exhale around anyone.

He told the Daily Mail:

It is my understanding that exhaled e-cigarette vapor consists of very small particles of water, propylene glycol and glycerin and flavor chemicals, not droplets of saliva.

The vaping aerosol evaporates very quickly, while particles that are emitted when coughing or sneezing are large particles that persist in the air for a relatively long period of time.

Thus, I would not think that vapers present any risk of spreading COVID-19, unless they are coughing when they exhale the vapor.

Good to hear so please practice safe vaping around others!

And as I wrote in the article: Vapers In Lock Down – Vaping Boredom Busters During the COVID-19 Crisis – DO keep your vape gear clean – especially those drip tips.

As you can imagine, the world of vaping has like everywhere else been dominated by this pandemic – and hopefully I’ll have a more varied vape news on Wednesday, still with close eye on any more links to COVID-19 and vaping.

Stay safe everyone.