A Machine Learning Approach Reveals Distinct Predictors of Vaping Dependence for Adolescent Daily and Non-Daily Vapers in the COVID-19 Era.

Since 2016, there has been a substantial rise in e-cigarette (vaping) dependence among young people. In this prospective cohort study, we aimed to identify the different predictors of vaping dependence over 3 months among adolescents who were baseline daily and non-daily vapers. We recruited ever-vaping Canadian residents aged 16-25 years on social media platforms and asked them to complete a baseline survey in November 2020. A validated vaping dependence score (0-23) summing up their responses to nine questions was calculated at the 3-month follow-up survey. Separate lasso regression models were developed to identify predictors of higher 3-month vaping dependence score among baseline daily and non-daily vapers. Of the 1172 participants, 643 (54.9%) were daily vapers with a mean age of 19.6 ± 2.6 years and 76.4% (n = 895) of them being female. The two models achieved adequate predictive performance. Place of last vape purchase, number of days a pod lasts, and the frequency of nicotine-containing vaping were the most important predictors for dependence among daily vapers, while race, sexual orientation and reporting treatment for heart disease were the most important predictors in non-daily vapers. These findings have implications for vaping control policies that target adolescents at different stages of vape use.

TOBACCO USE IN STUDENTS OF THE THIRD FACULTY OF MEDICINE OF CHARLES UNIVERSITY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Objectives: This study assessed trends in tobacco use in students of the Third Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in the Czech Republic between academic years 2012/13 and 2019/2020. Methods: Two cross-sectional surveys designed to obtain information on smoking history, smoking status, tobacco products use, and cessation were conducted among 382 students of the 6-year Master's Study Programme (General Medicine) and the 3-year Bachelor's Study Programme (Public Health) in 2012/2013;and among 580 students of General Medicine and of the Bachelor's Study Programmes (Public Health, Dental Hygiene and Nursing) in 2019/2020. Results: Regular/daily smoking was reported by 4.4 ± 2.4% (with 95% CI) of General Medicine students and 4.8 ± 4.1% of Public Health students in 2012/2013, and 1.3 ± 1.1% of General Medicine students and 14.4 ± 4.8% of students of bachelor studies in 2019/2020. The share of regular and occasional smokers was higher among junior students in both academic years (23.9 ± 5.1% and 20.1 ± 4.7%, respectively) compared to senior students (23.6 ± 9.8% and 9.6 ± 5.7%). Cigarettes were the most common products used in both academic years (67.0 ± 4.7% and 45.5 ± 4.0%). There was a significant increase in proportion of students using more tobacco products in the course of the time (from 12.1 ± 3.1% to 53.7 ± 4.1%). The proportion of students who quitted smoking has risen from 11.4 ± 3.2% to 16.1 ± 3.0%. On the contrary, the proportion of students who started smoking has dropped from 15.9 ± 3.7% to 2.9 ± 1.4%. The proportion of non-smokers has risen from 57.6 ± 5.0% to 65.3 ± 3.9%. Conclusions: The study revealed some positive trends concerning tobacco use in students (decline in regular smokers among students of General Medicine, senior students, cigarette smokers, water pipe smokers;rise in non-smokers), but also negative ones (rise in regular smokers among students of Public Health, students who used more tobacco products).

The relationship between smoking status and smoking index against COVID-19 disease course in treated patients at Dr. M Djamil General Hospital, Padang

Background: Smoking is a risk factor for the development and worsening of respiratory diseases, including COVID-19 infection. Smoking can increase the risk of the severity of COVID-19 by two times because in smokers there is an increase in the expression of the ACE-2 gene by 25% compared to non-smokers. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between smoking status and smoking index on the course of COVID-19 disease treated at Dr. M Djamil General Hospital. Method: An observational analytic study with a retrospective cohort approach on COVID-19 patients who were treated at Dr. M. Djamil General Hospital. Data were taken from January to March 2021. The relationship between smoking status and smoking index on the course of COVID-19 was analyzed by Chi-Square. Results: This study found the most age was above 50 years with a vulnerable age of 50-59 years (28.4%) and female gender (56.7%). Non-smoker status (64.2%) and moderate smoking index (51.4%) were the most commonly found in this study. Clinically non-progressive COVID-19 (53.7%) was the most common. This study found that the maximum length of stay for COVID-19 patients was less than 21 days (53.7%) and the outcome of patients recovered (62.2%). This study found a significant relationship between the smoking index on the clinical progress of COVID-19 patients and there was a significant relationship between smoking status and the outcome of COVID-19 patients. This study found that smoking status and the smoking index had no significant relationship with the length of stay of COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: Smoking status is related to outcomes in COVID-19 patients and the smoking index is related to a progression in COVID-19 patients treated at Dr. M. Djamil General Hospital.

Examining Disparities in Current E-Cigarette Use among U.S. Adults before and after the WHO Declaration of the COVID-19 Pandemic in March 2020.

This paper aims to estimate the prevalence of e-cigarette use before and after the COVID-19 pandemic declaration and to delineate disparities in use across subpopulations. Data were derived from the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey (N = 3865) to conduct weighted multivariable logistic regression and marginal analyses. The overall prevalence of current e-cigarette use increased from 4.79% to 8.63% after the COVID-19 pandemic declaration. Furthermore, non-Hispanic Black people and Hispanic people had lower odds of current e-cigarette use than non-Hispanic White people, but no significant differences were observed between groups before the pandemic. Compared to heterosexual participants, sexual minority (SM) participants had higher odds of current e-cigarette use after the declaration, with insignificant differences before. People who had cardiovascular disease conditions, relative to those without, had higher odds of current e-cigarette use after the declaration, but no group differences were found before the declaration. The marginal analyses showed that before and after the pandemic declaration, SM individuals had a significantly higher probability of using e-cigarettes compared to heterosexual individuals. These findings suggest the importance of adopting a subpopulation approach to understand and develop initiatives to address substance use, such as e-cigarettes, during pandemics and other public health emergencies.

Smoking on COVID-19 pandemic: neurobiological aspects of drug abuse in lasting stress conditions

One of the biggest global public health crisis began in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019. That emergency was the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and the disease COVID-19, a highly transmissible acute respiratory syndrome. The pandemic declaration by the WHO in March 2020 caused the world to take on several measures to combat and contain the virus. Initially, social isolation and lockdown were the main initiatives, as there were no forms of treatment or prevention of the disease. These restrictive measures generate a change in the habit of the population that triggered serious physical and psychological impairments. One of the consequences was the increase in the use of substances of abuse and, consequently, substance use disorder, including tobacco. During the pandemic, cigarette consumption increased from 10 to 30% worldwide, whereas smoking is the main cause of preventable death and a risk factor for several diseases. Along with alcohol, nicotine has a greater addictive power than illicit drugs. Substance use disorders and COVID-19 have a synergistic effect, in this way, we seek to integrate neurochemical, cognitive and behavioral aspects that led to increased consumption and/or relapse in nicotine consumption and the used therapy.

Smoking as one of the predictors of the severity of the condition of patients suffering from a new Coronavirus infection

The relationship between smoking and the lung damage volume in patients with a confirmed new coronavirus infection diagnosis, hospitalized in a temporary infectious hospital for the treatment of patients suffering from a new coronavirus infection and community-acquired pneumonia was evaluated. This was in the Odintsovo District's Patriot Park of the Moscow region. Smoking cigarettes, both active and passive, as well as exposure to tobacco smoke on the body, are important upper and lower respiratory tract infection risk factors due to local immune response suppression. Nevertheless, data from a number of international studies indicate a significantly lower number of hospitalized smoking patients compared to non-smokers. These indicators were investigated as the percentage and degree of lung damage, smoking history, the number of cigarettes smoked per day, and the smoker's index. In the course of the study, the data on a smaller percentage of smokers admitted to inpatient treatment were confirmed in comparison with non-smokers and smokers in the general population. There was no statistically significant difference in the volume of lung damage between smoking and non-smoking patients according to the chest organs computed tomography. At the same time, there was an increase in the volume of lung tissue damage, depending on the smoking experience. This is apparently due to the irreversible changes formation in lung tissue against a long-term smoking background. The median age of smoking patients was 56 years with a variation from 46 to 68 years. The minimum and maximum ages were 29 and 82. The median lung lesion was 32% with a variation from 23% to 39%. The minimum and maximum lung damage is 10% and 40%, respectively. A moderate correlation was found between the smoking experience and the volume of lung damage. An increase in lung damage by 0.309% should be expected with an increase in smoking experience by one full year. There was also no statistically significant difference in the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the smoker's index.

Adolescent E-cigarette use: Rates, concerns, and policy implications

While US consumption of conventional cigarettes has declined steadily, electronic cigarettes have been the most commonly used tobacco product among adolescents since 2014, with a particular surge in use starting in 2017. The 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) found that even during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2 million adolescents were current e-cigarette users. Just prior to the pandemic in 2020, one in five high school students and one in ten middle school students were using e-cigarettes every day, about the same level as in 2018 when adolescent e-cigarette use was declared an epidemic. Daily use is a strong indicator of nicotine dependence, raising concerns that e-cigarettes will hook a new generation on nicotine, including combustible cigarettes and other tobacco products. E-cigarettes are associated with a number of significant health consequences, including nicotine addiction, toxic effects of flavors, and psychological, social, and educational effects. Adolescents are especially attracted to e-cigarettes because of their youth-friendly flavors and salt-based nicotine which makes the device easier to use with less harsh throat hit, and allows users to more readily inhale large amount of nicotine. Adolescents are also attracted to the appealing designs and ability to conceal the e-cigarette devices;aggressive marketing that targets adolescents;misperceptions about the products' nicotine levels and health effects;and ease of access. Previous successful efforts to reduce tobacco use have been washed away due to the adolescent e-cigarette epidemic. This chapter discusses rates of adolescent e-cigarette use, health effects, why adolescents use e-cigarettes, and then ends with a discussion of the policy implications. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress, substance use, and teen dating violence among young adult women in Baltimore City

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Social distancing practices during COVID-19 may impact experience of stress, substance use and violence exposure. This study aims to describe the effect of the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders on stress, substance use, and teen dating violence (TDV) among young women living in Baltimore City. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Study participants were recruited from an observational study examining TDV before the COVID-19 pandemic, through snowball sampling, pediatric and adolescent primary care clinics, the pediatric emergency department, and a registry for patients interested in participating in COVID-19 research. Participants were between the ages of 16 and 22, identified as female, and lived in Baltimore, Maryland. They were asked to complete a baseline survey. March 16, 2020 (Maryland governor's stay-at-home order) through June 2022 defined the COVID-19 pandemic period. The survey assessed stress experiences, including isolation, finances, job loss, transportation, school stress, substance use, experiences of violence and adherence to COVID-19 safety measures. We conducted descriptive and bivariate analyses. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Participants (n=105) had a mean age of 19.4 years (SD 1.73). Preliminary analyses demonstrate that stress associated with isolation, finances, transportation, and school increased during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic. In addition, the majority of participants who used marijuana, e-cigarettes, and alcohol used about the same amount or more of each substance during the pandemic. For the next steps, we will examine experiences of TDV for young women during the pandemic and examine whether experiences of TDV differ for young women who reported a greater adherence to COVID-19 safety measures compared to participants who adhered less. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Assessing the impact of COVID-19 safety measures on stress, substance use, and TDV is critical to informing and designing future public health interventions. In addition, the information obtained from this study may be used to address the unique challenges faced by disenfranchised populations while curbing the spread of infectious diseases.

Associations between depression, stress, and e-cigarette use among OEF/OIF veterans.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound mental and behavioral health implications for the general U.S. population. However, little is known regarding outcomes for U.S. veterans, who represent a population with high rates of depression, stress, and e-cigarette use. One month prior to the pandemic-related closures (February 2020), 1230 OEF/OIF veterans (ages 18-40) completed an online baseline survey. Six months later, participants completed a follow-up survey (83% retention rate). Hierarchical negative binomial regressions were used to examine the relationship between baseline depression and past 30-day e-cigarette use at follow-up and whether baseline stress moderated this relationship. Veterans who screened positive for depression or who endorsed higher stress levels reported greater e-cigarette use at follow-up. Stress also moderated the relationship between depression and e-cigarette use, such that regardless of stress levels, a positive depression screen was associated with greater rates of later e-cigarette use. However, for those with a negative depression screen, higher stress levels were associated with greater e-cigarette use relative to lower stress levels. Veterans with pre-pandemic depression and stress may be at highest risk for e-cigarette use. Ongoing assessment and treatment for depression and promoting stress management skills for veterans in e-cigarette use prevention and intervention programs may be valuable.

Use of a multi-method approach to rapidly assess the impact of public health policies at the state and local level: a case study of flavored e-cigarette policies.

BACKGROUND: E-cigarettes are the most-commonly used tobacco product by youth since 2014. To prevent youth access and use of e-cigarettes, many U.S. states and localities have enacted policies over a relatively short period of time. The adoption of these policies has necessitated timely data collection to evaluate impacts. METHODS: To assess the impact of flavored e-cigarette policies in select states and local jurisdictions across the United States, a multi-method, complementary approach was implemented from July 2019 to present, which includes analyses of cross-sectional online surveys of young people ages 13-24 years with retail sales data. RESULTS: From February 2020 through February 2023, cross-sectional surveys have been conducted in three cities, one county, and eight states where policy changes have been enacted or are likely to be enacted. Data collection occurred every six months to provide near real-time data and examine trends over time. Additionally, weekly retail sales data were aggregated to showcase monthly sales trends at the national level and for the selected states. DISCUSSION: This rapid and efficient method of coupling online survey data with retail sales data provides a timely and effective approach for monitoring a quickly changing tobacco product landscape, particularly for states and localities where rapidly-available data is often not available. This approach can also be used to monitor other health behaviors and relevant policy impacts.

The association between risk perceptions, anxiety, and self-reported changes in tobacco and nicotine product use due to COVID-19 in May-June 2020 in Israel.

BACKGROUND: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, reports about a possible protective effect of nicotine on COVID-19 conflicted with messaging by public health organizations about increased risks of COVID-19 due to smoking. The ambiguous information the public received, combined with COVID-19-induced anxiety, may have led to changes in tobacco or other nicotine product use. This study examined changes in use of combustible cigarettes (CCs), nargila (hookah/waterpipe), e-cigarettes, and IQOS and home-smoking behaviors. We also assessed COVID-19 related anxiety and perceptions regarding changes in risk of COVID-19 severity due to smoking. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from a population telephone survey that was conducted in Israel in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (May-June 2020) and included 420 adult (age 18+) individuals who reported having ever used CCs (n = 391), nargila (n = 193), and/or electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes)/heated tobacco products (e.g., IQOS) (n = 52). Respondents were asked about the effect that COVID-19 had on their nicotine product use (quit/reduced use, no change, increased use). We assessed changes in product use, risk perceptions, and anxiety using adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Most respondents did not change their frequency of product use (CCs: 81.0%, nargila: 88.2%, e-cigarettes/IQOS: 96.8%). A small percentage either decreased use (CCs: 7.2%, nargila: 3.2%, e-cigarettes/IQOS:2.4%) or increased use (CCs:11.8%, nargila:8.6%, e-cigarettes/IQOS:+ 0.9%). 55.6% of respondents used a product in the home prior to COVID-19; but during the first lockdown COVID-19 period, a greater percentage increased (12.6%) than decreased (4.0%) their home use. Higher levels of anxiety due to COVID-19 were associated with increased home smoking (aOR = 1.59, 95% CI:1.04-2.42, p = 0.02). Many respondents believed that increased severity of COVID-19 illness was associated with CCs (62.0%) and e-cigarettes/vaping (45.3%), with uncertainty about the association being lower for CCs (20.5%) than for vaping (41.3%). CONCLUSIONS: While many respondents believed that nicotine product use (particularly CCs and e-cigarettes) was associated with increased risk of COVID-19 disease severity, the majority of users did not change their tobacco/nicotine use. The confusion about the relationship between tobacco use and COVID-19 calls for clear evidence-based messaging from governments. The association between home smoking and increased COVID-19-related stress suggests the need for campaigns and resources to prevent smoking in the home, particularly during times of stress.

Cannabis vaping among college students

Introduction: Vaping is a growing industry that has gained popularity among college students (Jones, Hill, Pardini, & Meier, 2016). Current trends indicate that college students frequently use these devices to vape cannabis (Kenne, Fischbein, Tan, & Banks, 2017). Detrimental health effects of vaping are emerging, including the cannabis vaping-related inflammatory disease referred to as Electronic-cigarette, or Vaping, Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Research is lacking on the perceptions and attitudes of cannabis vaping among college students. Additionally, the Integrated Behavioral Model may be useful in explaining and predicting cannabis vaping among this population. Both of the aforementioned issues are addressed in this dissertation.Purpose: This alternative dissertation includes two separate studies. The first study was a qualitative design, which was completed with the purpose of exploring factors that influence college students to initiate and continue to vaporize cannabis instead of traditional combustible cannabis practices. The second study was a result of the first and utilized a quantitative design to determine if the IBM is useful in explaining and predicting cannabis vaping among college students.Methods: (Study 1) Individual telephone interviews were conducted, transcribed, and analyzed for common themes (n=21). (Study 2) An online survey was deployed via Amazon Mechanical Turk containing 35 items to measure the primary constructs of the IBM, including Experiential Attitude, Instrumental Attitude, Injunctive Norms, Descriptive Norms, Perceived Control, Self-Efficacy, and Behavioral Intention (n=423). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to determine whether the data fit the proposed IBM model. Inclusion criteria for both studies included college undergraduates, aged 18-25, who self-reported vaping cannabis at least once in the past 30 days.Results: (Study 1) Six primary themes and eighteen subthemes were identified. Main themes included 1) Convenience, 2) Discreetness, 3) Euphoric Experience, 4) Social Acceptability, 5) Health and Safety, and 6) COVID-19 Pandemic Impact. (Study 2) Obtained fit indices confirmed that the data fit the proposed model, accounting for 54.2% of the variance. Structural equation modeling demonstrated the strongest path coefficients between Behavioral Intention and Experiential Attitude, Instrumental Attitude, Injunctive Norms, and Descriptive Norms. There was a weak, positive relationship between vaping cannabis and smoking cannabis within the sample.Conclusions: College students who use cannabis tend to both vape and smoke (dual-use), depending largely on social and physical environment. Overall, the participants tended to underestimate the risks associated with both cannabis and vaping. Additionally, the strongest predictors of vaping were descriptive norms and experiential attitude. The findings indicate that the development of interventions and educational programming specific to this demographic is warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Specific antibodies of 95 health care workers vaccinated with inactivated 2019-nCoV vaccines

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the immune antibodies in blood specimens of 95 health care workers vaccinated with inactivated 2019-nCoV vaccines and explore the rules and characteristics of production of antibodies after vaccination. METHODS: From Oct 2020 to Jul 2021, the venous blood specimens were collected from 95 health care workers of the 305 Hospital of PLA after the injection of 2 doses of 2019-nCoV vaccines fo30 days, 65 days, 91 days, 6 months and 9 months. SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobin(Ig) M, IgG and titers of neutralizing antibodies and total antibodies were detected by chemiluminescence immunoassay, the results of antibody tests were dynamically analyzed, the immune durability of the antibody, influencing factors and correlation were determined. RESULTS: Almost all of the subjects produced IgG, neutralizing antibody and total antibody, some subjects retained high level of IgM titer. Smoking could affect the production of total antibody. The subjects of the low body weight group produced higher level of IgG, and there was no significant difference when the weight was over 60 kg. The titers of the four types of antibodies decreased significantly at the following time points, and the positive rates of all the antibodies were less than 50% except for IgG after the vaccination for 9 months. CONCLUSION: Specific IgM and IgG, neutralizing antibody and total antibody can be produced after the 2-doses vaccination of inactivated 2019-nCoV vaccines. But the titers and positive rates of the antibodies decrease with time, which means the protective effects on the body decrease. Therefore, in order to improve the autoimmunity against novel coronavirus, one booster vaccination of an inactivated 2019-nCoV vaccine will be necessary after the 2 doses of vaccination for 6 months.

A study on the dietary behavior of Korean adults: focus on dietary supplement intake, household size, and COVID-19

Objectives: This study investigates dietary supplement intakes by examining the characteristics of dietary and health-related behaviors. Data were obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Dietary and health-related behaviors were also examined before and after the occurrence of COVID-19 and household types (multi-members vs. single person). Methods: Data used in this study were collected from the 2019-2020 KNHANES by including adults aged 19 to 64 years. Pregnant, lactating, and subjects consuming calories less than 500 and more than 5,000 were excluded. Differences in dietary and health-related behaviors before and after COVID-19, and between the two types of households were analyzed by Chi-square analyses using Rao-Scott. Logistic regression analyses were applied to determine which dietary and health-related behaviors affected the dietary supplement intakes. In addition, descriptive analysis was run for demographic characteristics. Results: The dietary supplement intake rate differed significantly with respect to the gender, age, education, marital status, and household income. Dietary supplement intakes, frequency of eating out, obesity, and body weight changes were significantly different before and after COVID-19. In addition, meal evaluation, frequency of eating out, drinking, smoking, activity, subjective health evaluation, and body weight changes showed significant differences by household type. Attitude towards nutrition, activity, meal evaluation, obesity, and smoking were factors that affected the intake of dietary supplements. Conclusions: While increased intake of dietary supplements is a prevalent phenomenon, this intake needs to be monitored and studied closely, considering the sociodemographic characteristics and dietary and health-related behaviors. Furthermore, the dietary supplement intake trend after COVID-19 needs to be studied along with food intake.

Investigation of factors associated with countries' COVID-19 disease fatality rates

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to investigate the factors associated with the Covid-19 disease fatality rate of countries. Methods: The research is of ecological type. In the study, the relationship between Covid-19 disease fatality rates and variables like socioeconomic state, healthy life expectancy at birth, population ages 65 and above, cardiovascular disease frequency, tobacco use frequency, vaccination rates, Human Development Index, Gender Inequality Index and Global Gender Gap Index were investigated. Mean, standard deviation, median, minimum and maximum values were used to summarize data. Pearson/Spearman correlation coefficient was used to investigate the relationships and a linear regression model was established. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: One hundred and thirty countries with no missing data were included in the study. Twelve point three percent of these countries were in low socioeconomic state. The mean fatality rate of 130 countries was 0.016..0.018. A statistically significant relationship was determined between fatality rate and all variables except tobacco use frequency (p<0.05). All the variables were included in the multiple linear regression model established for the prediction of the fatality rate. Among these variables, Global Gender Gap Index was the only variable that made a statistically significant contribution to the model. Conclusion: Considering these variables in similar epidemic disease states that may occur in the future and improving the conditions related to these variables on a global scale may be important to ensure epidemic control. AD -..zt..rk, E. N. Y.: Ankara Pursaklar Devlet Devlet Hastanesi, Turkey, ..zt..rk, M.: Ankara Pursaklar Devlet Hastanesi, Turkey, Uyar, M.: Necmettin Erbakan ..niversitesi Meram Tip Fak..ltesi Halk Sagligi ABD, Turkey. elifnyildirim@hotmail.com

Post-COVID-19 pneumonia lung fibrosis: a worrisome sequelae in surviving patients

BackgroundProgressive fibrotic lung disease is one of the possible consequences of COVID-19 pulmonary pneumonia, and it is one of the most worrying long-term complications. Pulmonary fibrosis is associated with non-reversible lung dysfunction. The long-term lung changes of previous COVID-19 infection still not completely understood and should be included in further studies. The aim of this study is the early detection and prediction of patients whom may develop such serious complication, thus giving a chance for early introduction of anti-fibrotic drugs.ResultsFrom April 2020 to December 2020, 80 patients in Cairo, Egypt, who have clinical manifestations and confirmed COVID-19 by PCR, were evaluated by follow-up MDCT. CT image analysis was processed including comparative study using follow-up data (different radiological signs and residual fibrotic changes). Although there was no specific cause for post-COVID-19 lung fibrosis, there were some predicting factors such as old age, cigarette smoking, high CT severity score, and long-term mechanical ventilation.ConclusionEarly detection of potential cases of post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis may give a chance to prevent or at least modify such disabling complication.

Commentary on "Increased nicotine vaping due to the COVID-19 pandemic among US young adults: Associations with nicotine dependence, vaping frequency, and reasons for use".

This manuscript is a correspondence referencing an article published in Preventive Medicine.

The Association of Tobacco Smoking, Second-hand Smoke, and Novel Tobacco Products With COVID-19 Severity and Mortality in Italy: Results From the COSMO-IT Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the robust evidence of an excess risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and mortality in ever smokers, the debate on the role of current and ex-smokers on COVID-19 progression remains open. Limited or no data are available on the link between electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), heated tobacco product (HTP) and second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure and COVID-19 progression. To fill this knowledge gap, we undertook the COvid19 and SMOking in ITaly (COSMO-IT) study. METHODS: A multi-centre longitudinal study was conducted in 2020-2021 in 24 Italian hospitals on a total of 1,820 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients. We estimated multivariable odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to quantify the association between smoking-related behaviours (ie, smoking status, e-cigarette and HTP use, and SHS exposure) and COVID-19 severity (composite outcome: intubation, intensive care unit admission and death) and mortality. RESULTS: Compared to never smokers, current smokers had an increased risk of COVID-19 mortality (OR 2.17; 95% CI, 1.06-4.41). E-cigarette use was non-significantly associated to an increased risk of COVID-19 severity (OR 1.60; 95% CI, 0.96-2.67). An increased risk of mortality was observed for exposure to SHS among non-smokers (OR 1.67; 95% CI, 1.04-2.68), the risk being particularly evident for exposures of ≥6 hours/day (OR 1.99; 95% CI, 1.15-3.44). CONCLUSION: This multicentric study from Italy shows a dismal COVID-19 progression in current smokers and, for the first time, in SHS exposed non-smokers. These data represent an additional reason to strengthen and enforce effective tobacco control measures and to support smokers in quitting.

Long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on use behavior and risk perceptions of college student E-cigarette users.

Objective: Work examining the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on e-cigarette use among college students is limited. Therefore, the current study examined differences in college student e-cigarette users' changes in use behavior and risk perceptions as the pandemic continues. Participants: 129 undergraduate current e-cigarette users (Mage = 19.68, SD = 1.85; 72.1% female; 85.3% White). Methods: Participants completed an online survey between October 2020 and April 2021. Results: In terms of changes in frequency of e-cigarette use, 30.5% of participants increased their use and 23.4% decreased their use. Greater e-cigarette dependence and anxiety were associated with increased use. Nearly half of e-cigarette users reported increased motivation to quit, and 32.5% had made at least one quit attempt. Conclusions: A substantial number of students increased their e-cigarette use as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cessation efforts targeting increased anxiety and dependence may be useful in this population.

Effect of smoking on coronavirus disease susceptibility: A case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco use has changed since the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The effect of smoking on COVID-19 susceptibility has not yet been determined. In this study, we aimed to assess the association between smoking and COVID-19 susceptibility. METHODS: This retrospective case-control study was conducted at the quarantine center of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, between April and June 2020. A total of 142 adults participated in the study, 73 of whom tested positive for COVID-19 and were matched for both sex and age with participants in the control group. Telephone interviews were conducted to assess the risk factors associated with that exposure. RESULTS: Different variables are investigated for their impact on COVID-19 infection susceptibility. The current study's findings indicated that smokers comprised only 27.5% (n=39) of the participants. There was no association between the COVID-19 swab results and smoking status (χ2=1.857; p=0.395). Furthermore, there was no significant association between any of the smoking parameters and susceptibility to COVID-19, except for the smoking period (t= -2.105, p=0.041). The odds of having a positive swab result among cigarette smokers were lower than those among pipe, waterpipe, and electronic cigarette smokers (OR=0.600; p=0.394). An association was also observed between COVID-19-positive swab results and contact with an individual with COVID-19 or respiratory disease (χ2=79.270 and χ2=18.929, respectively, p≤0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed no association between smoking status and COVID-19 swab test results. Further research with a bigger sample size is suggested to confirm the relationship between smoking and COVID-19 susceptibility.