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I think there's a plausible case for long-term smoking as a COVID-19 risk factor, but this is sadly typical NYT reporting on the topic: ignoring contrary evidence, quoting the most biased experts, and unquestioningly promoting their political aims. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/health/coronavirus-smoking-vaping-risks.html
The hypothesis is contradicted by evidence that smokers are underrepresented among hospitalized cases. This might reflect flawed data or it might be an actual pattern. It's hard to say, but it's worth mentioning if you're reporting on the question. https://www.qeios.com/read/article/561
The relationship of vaping and COVID-19 is entirely speculative, but treated as headline-worthy. Basic sanitation would help minimize these risks just as when eating or drinking.
The NYT's primary source, Jonathan Winickoff, is the same doctor who popularized "thirdhand smoke" a decade ago, again with help from the NYT. As I wrote last week, the evidence that this is substantially harmful is weak, but the concept is stigmatizing. https://exponentsmag.org/2020/03/31/social-distancing-before-covid-19/
And that's the rub of this. There are ample reasons to quit smoking, but good science is corrupted by the political aims of stigmatizing smokers/vapers. Health groups are opportunistically using the pandemic to justify restricting their liberties. https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2020/04/06/tobaccocontrol-2020-055807
It will be useful to know how smoking and vaping affect COVID-19, and there may be complicated effects in multiple directions. The task of figuring this out is made harder when the press amplifies the most ideological voices in service to political aims.
