Participants were asked if they had ever used vaping devices or combustible cigarettes, whether they had vaped or smoked in the past 30 days, and if they had experienced COVID-19 symptoms, been tested for COVID-19 or been diagnosed with the infectious disease.

Participants who had used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days were 4.7 times more likely to experience COVID-19 symptoms compared with those who never smoked or vaped.

Among people tested for COVID-19, those who used just e-cigarettes were five times more likely to get a positive COVID-19 test result. Those who had ever used both e-cigarettes and cigarettes were seven times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19, the study found

The study cannot prove that vaping causes COVID-19. The researchers note, however, that vaping involves the repeated touching of hands to the mouth and face, which is associated with the spread of COVID-19. Further, exposure to nicotine and other chemicals in e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes causes lung damage.

The researchers hope their findings will prompt the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to effectively regulate e-cigarettes during the COVID-19 pandemic.