Lawsuits previously filed against Juul Labs over concerns with youth vaping are being amended to reflect the possible detriments to users’ lung health given the respiratory effects of contracting the novel coronavirus.
Records indicate that a complaint filed against the ubiquitous vape maker in San Francisco has since been amended to include claims linked to the respiratory effects of Covid-19, as health officials warn the public that vaping could amplify the illness’ respiratory symptoms. As the national death toll from Covid-19 eclipses 50,000, lawyers in the case added the allegation that “JUUL users are also at greater risk of suffering more serious complications if they contract the coronavirus.” The amended lawsuit seeks punitive damages against Juul Labs as well as ongoing medical monitoring for patients “to allow for timely treatment and prevention of exacerbation of injuries.”
At the same time, the FDA appears to be unwilling to use the same unambiguous language in its warnings over vaping’s effects on the novel coronavirus as it has been in its previous warnings over vaping in general. The agency has said that vaping’s effects on Covid-19 are “not known,” while issuing grave warnings over the effects of traditional cigarette smoking and risks of the coronavirus. “Cigarette smoking causes heart and lung diseases, suppresses the immune system, and increases the risk of respiratory infections,” the agency said through a spokeswoman. “People who smoke cigarettes may be at increased risk from Covid-19, and may have worse outcomes from Covid-19.”
In what can only be seen as further evidence of just how strange today’s times have become, even that advice may come into question, however. While smoking still remains one of the most preventable and avoidable causes of premature death on the planet, some evidence shows that smokers may actually be less susceptible to Covid-19 infection than their non-smoking counterparts. A French study indicated a 75% decrease in the risk of infection for smokers versus non-smokers, and in a study published by the US Centers for Disease Control, just 1.3% of cases of the 7,000 studied included current smokers. A study of 4,000 New York Covid-19 patients also yielded similarly skewed results.
