Everything we know about smoking, vaping, marijuana, and coronavirus risk

• Data on cigarette smoking and COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, suggests people with smoking habits of any kind could be at risk for severe illness.
• Vaping regularly could also make the lungs more vulnerable to infection, doctors told Insider.
• They recommend that people curb their smoking and vaping habits during the coronavirus pandemic in order to protect their health.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

In recent years, e-cigarettes and vapes have skyrocketed in popularity, while the rapid legalization of marijuana has made it easier than ever for people to obtain the drug.

But the coronavirus pandemic is bringing to light how these substances could make people more susceptible to COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, as well as severe symptoms like shortness of breath and respiratory failure.

Data on susceptibility to COVID-19 is thin. Researchers have barely started to understand how the disease works, let alone how it is influenced by habits such as smoking or vaping.

But lung health experts say they don't need coronavirus-specific data to warn people that marijuana vapes, e-cigarettes, and other forms of smoking aren't a good idea right now.

Here's what we know so far about smoking and vaping various substances and COVID-19 risk.