Can you get the coronavirus from secondhand smoke?
Experts say secondhand smoke isn’t believed to directly spread the virus, but infected smokers may blow droplets carrying the virus when they exhale.
Being able to smell the smoke might be a sign you’re too close to the smoker. The respiratory droplets people spray when they talk, cough or sneeze are believed to be the main way the virus spreads.
And people also exhale those droplets when smoking, as well as when vaping. You should avoid secondhand smoke regardless, since it can cause various health problems.
“It would be reasonable to think that any condition that potentially affects the lungs, be it chronic or acute affects from such behavior as smoking or vaping, regardless of the ingredients inhaled, could play a role in making someone more susceptible to complications from the disease.” Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association, says on the association's website.