Role of tobacco exposure in the course of COVID-19 disease and the impact of the disease on smoking behavior

Telatar, Tahsin Gökhan; Karadogan, Dilek; Baykal, Mehmet Halit; Yurtsever, Burcu Aykanat

BACKGROUND: The effect of COVID-19 on smoking behavior is not fully known. Studies evaluating the link between smoking and COVID-19 have controversial results. This study aims to evaluate patients' smoking status with COVID-19 and the effect of COVID-19 on smoking behavior. METHODS: Data was collected from 150 COVID-19 patients with a positive polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2 between March 11, 2020 and May 15, 2020 in Rize/Turkey. Patients were interviewed by phone calls two months after their recovery. After nine months, a follow-up was performed for those who quit smoking. RESULTS: Of the participants, 19 (12.7%) were current smokers before the COVID-19 diagnosis, and 15 (78.9%) of them stated that they quit smoking after their diagnosis. After one year of follow-up, 11 of those 15 participants (57.8%) sustained abstinence. CONCLUSION: Smoking cessation rates are high in people with COVID-19. Besides, the frequency of sustaining abstinence in the long term was also high in these individuals. The COVID-19 pandemic should be viewed as an open opportunity to strengthen and prioritize smoking cessation activities.