Relationship Between Smoking and the COVID-19 Infection Outcome Among Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

Background: Smoking is one of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk factors, and smoking patients experience greater respiratory complications than non-smokers do. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between smoking and the COVID-19 infection outcome in southern Iran using data from COVID-19 inpatients. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study used the data of 3548 COVID-19 inpatients recorded in 22 hospitals of Hormozgan province from February 2020 to May 2021. The smoking status of COVID-19 patients was separately analyzed based on treatment received during hospitalization with grade 4 (death) and grade 0 (no oxygen intake) using multiple logistic regression. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS version 9.1. Results: The average length of stay upon admission was six days. Among men, former smokers had an increased risk of grades 3 and 4 based on age (OR: 1.31) and date of admission (OR: 1.45(. Among women with a history of former smoking, increased risks were observed in those with grades 3 and 4 for age (OR: 1.74) and date of admission (OR: 1.59). In the current male smokers, there was no significant increased risk of grade 3 and grade 4, but the current female smokers had an increased risk of grades 3 and 4. Conclusion: The present study indicated that being a former smoker, having old age, being male gender, and having a co-morbidity were associated with a high risk of severe COVID-19. The risk of severe disease increased significantly in the presence of certain diseases, which indicates the need for continuous examination and monitoring of patients with comorbidities.