300% increase in hospitalizations for COVID-19 of young adults who smoke or vape
Get this message out to the teens and young adults who think they are invincible and won’t get COVID-19. One-third of young adults may be at risk of getting seriously sick with COVID-19 – especially if they smoke or vape. For young men, smoking or vaping can more than DOUBLE the potential of being hospitalized, needing intensive care, or dying from the virus. For young women, it could increase the possibility about 1.5 times.
With young people partying during spring breaks, summer vacations, 4th of July and more, they are now driving the nation’s surge in COVID cases. Kids between 18-29 years old are filling more hospital beds today than they did at the start of the pandemic. There’s been a 300% increase in hospitalizations of youth between mid-April and late June.
In California, new coronavirus cases among young people under age 35 surged by 73% at the end of June (compared to the first of June). During this same time period, infections for people over 50 rose only 43% — showing that smoking/vaping youth are at higher risk than people over 50.
I hope that youth will stop smoking and vaping to increase their chances of making it through this pandemic. This will also improve their overall health and life expectancy.