@article {TelatarPA3199, author = {Tahsin G{\"o}khan Telatar and Dilek Karado{\u g}an and Mehmet Halit Baykal and Burcu Aykanat Yurtseven}, title = {Role of tobacco exposure in the course of COVID-19 disease and the impact of the disease on smoking behavior}, volume = {58}, number = {suppl 65}, elocation-id = {PA3199}, year = {2021}, doi = {10.1183/13993003.congress-2021.PA3199}, publisher = {European Respiratory Society}, abstract = {Introduction: Studies evaluating the link between smoking and COVID-19 have controversial results. This study aims to evaluate the smoking status of COVID-19 patients, examine the relationship between smoking status and the course of COVID-19 disease, and determine how their smoking behavior changed after the disease.Methods: Data was collected from COVID-19 patients who had positive polymerase chain reaction tests for SARS-CoV-2 between 11 March 2020 -15 May 2020 in Rize/Turkey. The data was obtained from the pandemic hospitals and interviews with patients two months after their recovery.Results: Of the 150 patients 50\% were female. The mean age of the participants was 48.17{\textpm}17.23. Before the COVID diagnosis 62\% of the patients were never smokers, 25\% were former smokers, and 12.7\% were current smokers. After COVID diagnosis 78.9\% of current smokers had quitted. Comorbid diseases were present in 40.7\% of the patients. The most prevalent symptoms were fever (36\%) and cough (31.3\%). Most of the patients had been hospitalized at wards (84.7\%), 2\% had been followed at intensive care units, 1.3\% had been intubated, and 7.3\% had been followed at home.~The proportion of men (73\% vs. 46.6\%, p\<0.02) and intubated individuals (10.5\% vs. 0.0\%, p:0.015)~ were higher in active smokers compared to former and never-smokers. Intubated 2 patients were heavy smokers and had smoking-related comorbid diseases.Measurements and Main Results: Our sample consists of COVID-19 patients from the first two months of the pandemic in Turkey. The rate of current smokers was 12.7\% and their quit rate was 78.9\% after recovery. Also current smokers had a higher rate of intubation.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA3199.This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session {\textquotedblleft}Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD{\textquotedblright}.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).}, issn = {0903-1936}, URL = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/58/suppl_65/PA3199}, eprint = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content}, journal = {European Respiratory Journal} }