Using heated tobacco products makes SARS‑CoV‑2 infection and severe COVID‑19 more likely, reports study

Heated tobacco products—an alternative to traditional cigarettes, similar to e-cigarettes or vapes—do not burn tobacco leaves, but rather allow users to inhale the vapor produced by heating the tobacco leaves. Users choose heated tobacco products to avoid the smoke and odor of burnt tobacco as well as the expectation that they pose fewer health risks than traditional cigarettes. However, the long-term health effects of heated tobacco products, particularly the new risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, have not been clarified.