January 20, 2022
Tobacco use increases risks for numerous diseases, including respiratory illnesses. The researchers examined the literature to determine whether a history of tobacco use increases risks for adverse outcomes among COVID-19 patients. They conducted a systematic search of PubMed, LitCovid, Scopus, and Europe PMC (for preprints) using COVID-19 and tobacco-related terms. They included studies of human subjects with lab-confirmed COVID-19 infections that examined tobacco use history as an exposure and used multivariable analyses. The data was collected between March 31st, 2020, and February 20th, 2021. Outcomes included mortality, hospitalization, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, and illness severity.
