Smoking or Vaping May Increase the Risk of a Severe Coronavirus Infection

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March 17, 2020

Dear Reader, During the coronavirus pandemic, it is essential that the public stay up to date on the latest information. For that reason, Scientific American is providing free access to all of our COVID-19 coverage. We hope this will help you navigate the outbreak. Here's a preview of today's most popular stories: Researchers say that smoking—and possibly vaping—could increase the risk of developing a severe infection from the coronavirus. A climate scientist compares the continuing crisis from COVID-19 to the existential threat of climate change. The rollout of 5G wireless technology will make mobile communications dramatically faster and more efficient. But, in our March issue, the editors of Scientific American argue it could also lead to dangerous setbacks for weather forecasting.

Sunya Bhutta, Senior Editor, Audience Engagement @sunyaaa

Public Health Smoking or Vaping May Increase the Risk of a Severe Coronavirus Infection Though few studies have investigated the connection specifically, cigarette smoke and vaping aerosol are linked to lung inflammation and lowered immune function By Tanya Lewis

Public Health Flattening the COVID-19 Curves Social distancing imposes hardships, but it can save many millions of lives By Andi Burkert,Avi Loeb

5G Could Disrupt Accurate Weather Forecasts Storm tracking could be scuttled by interference from next-gen wireless communications By THE EDITORS

Policy & Ethics How COVID-19 Is Like Climate Change Both are existential challenges—and a president who belittles and neglects science has made them both tougher to address By Ben Santer

2019 Was a Record Year for U.S. Solar Power California saw major growth; Pennsylvania and Colorado could be the next markets to take off By John Fialka,E&E News

A Clever Way to Reduce Drinking on Campus Making advice seem "random" reduces resistance, a study shows By Andy Earle

FROM THE STORE Becoming Human: Our Past, Present and Future We humans are a strange bunch. We have self-awareness and yet often act on impulses that remain hidden. How did we get here? What is to become of us? To these age-old questions, science has in recent years brought powerful tools and reams of data, and in this eBook, Becoming Human*, we look at what these data have to tell us about who we are. * Editor's note: Special Edition was published as Evolution: What Makes Us Human? The eBook adaptation contains all of the articles, but some artwork has been removed to optimize viewing on tablet devices.

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FROM THE ARCHIVE You Are Probably Washing Your Hands Wrong Many of us spend only about six seconds on the job   By Michelle Sconce Massaquoi,The Conversation US | December 2017

QUOTE OF THE DAY "A sensible thing to do for people is to stop smoking and stop vaping--and avoid secondhand exposure...it stands to reason that you would lower your risk if you stopped doing these things."" Stanton Glantz, Director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, UCSF

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