Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 10, 2026

Development of a Preclinical Inhalation Model to Test Vaporized Cannabis Distillates
Published on: May 30, 2025
COVID-19 symptoms associated with smoking and vaping tobacco and cannabis: A cross-sectional analysis
Sifon U Ndon1, Andrew W Liu2, Timothy J Judson3,4
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Objective:
Characterize symptoms observed among people using nicotine and/or cannabis compared to non-users using an institutional respiratory illness symptom checker.
Methods:
Cross-sectional study (April 2020-August 2021) using University of California San Francisco (UCSF) COVID-19 & Flu Symptom Checker online self-triage tool measuring current tobacco and cannabis use, symptom prevalence and associations with self-reported severe dyspnea, using multivariable logistic regression.
Results:
Excluding those with emergent symptoms requiring immediate medical evaluation, of 10,904 patients, 729 (6.7%) self-reported current nicotine or cannabis use. People smoking and/or vaporizing nicotine or cannabis reported constitutional, ear/nose and throat, respiratory, and gastrointestinal symptoms more frequently than non-users. Current vaping (aOR = 1.89, 95% CI 1.23, 2.81) and co-use of nicotine/cannabis (aOR = 2.00, 95% CI 1.26, 3.09) were associated with higher odds of dyspnea, adjusting for comorbidities and demographic factors.
Conclusion:
People using nicotine or cannabis products had increased frequencies of self-reported COVID-19 symptoms and dyspnea. Current vaporizer use may not be associated with a difference in self-reported respiratory symptoms compared to smoking tobacco. Including tobacco and cannabis use in symptom checkers may enhance risk stratification and clinical decision-making during future respiratory virus outbreaks.
Related Concept Videos
Stimulants
Cocaine can be administered via snorting, injection, or smoking. It primarily functions by blocking the reuptake of dopamine, resulting in a euphoric high characterized by an intense sensation of happiness and...
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Statistical Methods for Analyzing Epidemiological Data
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-IV: Assessement and Diagnostic Studies
Medical History
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:

