Developed by Pfizer

This information is for people who:
currently smoke or used to smoke

Know the
relationship between
smoking
and COVID-19

COVID-19 spreads fast. In some people it can start with mild symptoms and quickly progress to more severe disease.

What is COVID-19?

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. If you are infected with the virus, you will most likely experience mild to moderate respiratory illness.1

Most people can expect to get better without needing special treatment, but some people can become very sick and require medical attention.1

Are you at increased risk?

3 in 5 (60%)

adults in the United States
have a chronic disease2

The older you are, the greater the chance of having at least one medical condition that can put you at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.3

The likelihood of having one or more such medical conditions increases by3:

10%

for people up to and including age 25 years

33%

for people up to and including age 50 years

66%

for people up to and including age 70 years

You are more likely to develop serious illness from COVID-19 if you have a condition or risk factor like4:

Age

50 years or older

Age

Immuno-compromised condition

Weakened immune system

Immunocompromised condition

Cancer

Current or past

Cancer

Lung disease

Such as asthma (moderate to severe)

Lung disease

Overweight or obese

Body Mass Index
(BMI) >25

Overweight or obese

Racial and ethnic disparities

Demographics and health equity

Racial and ethnic disparities

Heart conditions

Heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies

Heart conditions

Diabetes

Type 1 or Type 2

Diabetes

This list does not include all possible conditions.

If you have diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, or cancer and you get COVID-19, you are more likely to4-8:

Get very sick

Be hospitalized

Need a machine to help you breathe

Need intensive care

Die

The number of high-risk medical conditions you have increases your risk of death from COVID-194,7:

Number of high-risk
medical conditions7

Risk of death7

0

1x

1

1.5x

2-5

2.6x

6-10

3.3x

10+

3.8x

the risk of death

COVID-19 and
smoking

If you are a current or former smoker, you are at high risk of
getting very sick and having complications from COVID-19.4,7

If you currently smoke
now or used to smoke, 
your risk of getting very 
sick from COVID-19 is

1.5x

higher than for a person
with no smoking history.7

Smoking is associated with9:

Weakening of the
immune system

Lung
inflammation

Increased risk of
pulmonary infection

Smoking is associated with many other
high-risk factors for COVID-19, including4,7,9:

Asthma

Coronary artery disease

Possibly hypertension

Cancer

Diabetes mellitus
Type 2

Stroke or
cerebrovascular disease

Chronic lung disease,
including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Heart failure

Tuberculosis

Smoking is the primary cause of COPD, which is associated with 2x the risk of COVID-19–related death when compared with those without COPD10

The CDC considers smoking and being a former smoker as high-risk factors for the progression to severe COVID-19, and recommends that current smokers quit and former smokers refrain from starting again4

Talk to your doctor if you have questions about how to quit smoking.

If you think you have been infected with
COVID-19, remember to ACT fast.

A
Assess
C
Confirm
T
Talk

Assess for COVID-19 symptoms and your risk factors like smoking

If you have been exposed to COVID-19, you may start having symptoms 2 to 14 days after exposure.11 COVID-19 symptoms can be similar to other infections, like the flu.12

If you have flu-like symptoms, it may be COVID-19.12
Symptoms of COVID-19 can look like11:

Muscle or
body aches

Shortness of
breath or difficulty breathing

Congestion or
runny nose

Cough

Diarrhea

Fatigue

Fever or chills

Headache

Nausea or
vomiting

New loss of smell and/or taste

Sore throat

Confirm that you have COVID-19 with your healthcare professional

If you have any COVID-19 symptoms or test positive, talk to your healthcare professional right away.

If you do not have symptoms but think you've been exposed to COVID-19, wait at least 5 full days after exposure and then test for COVID-19 infection.13
If you have COVID-19, do not delay. Even if your symptoms are mild, treatment must be started within days after you first develop symptoms to be effective.14

If you find it hard to breathe, get immediate medical attention.15

Talk to your healthcare professional about treatment options

Treatment options for COVID-19 can be discussed to see if one is right for you.14

These treatments must be taken within days if you begin having symptoms.14

This is why it is so important to contact your healthcare professional as soon as possible.14

References

  1. World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic diseases in America. Reviewed May 6, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.htm
  3. Clark A, Jit M, Warren-Gash C, et al. How many are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease? Rapid global, regional and national estimates for 2020. Posted April 22, 2020. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.18.20064774
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People with certain medical conditions. Updated November 22, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html#:~:text=Older%20 adults%20are%20at%20highest,18%2D29%20years
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Basics of COVID-19. Updated November 4, 2021. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/about-covid-19/basics-covid-19.html
  6. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Risk factors and risk groups. Updated January 21, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19/latest-evidence/risk-factors-risk-groups
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Underlying medical conditions associated with higher risk for severe COVID-19: information for healthcare professionals. Updated June 15, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-care/underlyingconditions.html
  8. Gao YD, Ding M, Dong X, et al. Risk factors for severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients: a review. Allergy. 2021;76(2):428-455. doi:10.1111/ all.14657
  9. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: 50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014.
  10. National Institutes of Health. National EHR data resource reveals COVID-19’s stark mortality risk in people with COPD. Updated March 23, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://ncats.nih.gov/pubs/features/national-ehr-data-resource-reveals-covid-19-stark-mortality-risk-in-people-with-copd
  11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms of COVID-19. Updated October 26, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
  12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Similarities and differences between flu and COVID-19. Reviewed September 28, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm
  13. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What to do if you were exposed to COVID-19. Updated August 24, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/if-you-were-exposed.html
  14. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 treatments and medications. Updated October 19, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/treatments-for-severe-illness.html
  15. World Health Organization. COVID-19: symptoms and severity. Updated April 18, 2022. Accessed November 28, 2022. https://www.who.int/westernpacific/emergencies/covid-19/information/asymptomatic-covid-19