AUTHOR=Huang Da , Xu Roubing , Na Rong 

TITLE=Cannabis Use Is Associated With Lower COVID-19 Susceptibility but Poorer Survival

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.829715

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.829715

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objectives</title><p>To investigate the impact of cannabis use on the infection and survival outcomes of COVID-19.</p></sec><sec><title>Study Design</title><p>Cross-sectional study based on the UK Biobank (UKB) dataset.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>We identified 13,099 individuals with cannabis smoking history in the UKB COVID-19 Serology Study. The Charlson-Quan Comorbidity Index was estimated using inpatient ICD-10 records. Multivariable logistic regression characterized features associated with COVID-19 infection. Cox models determined the hazard ratios (HR) for COVID-19-related survival.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Cannabis users were more likely to getting COVID-19 (odds ratio: 1.22, <italic>P</italic> = 0.001) but multivariable analysis showed that cannabis use was a protective factor of COVID-19 infection (adjusted odds ratio: 0.81, <italic>P</italic> = 0.001). Regular cannabis users, who smoked more than once per month, had a significantly poorer COVID-19-related survival, after adjusting for known risk factors including age, gender, smoking history, and comorbidity (adjusted hazard ratio: 2.81, <italic>P</italic> = 0.041).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title><p>The frequency of cannabis use could be considered as a candidate predictor for mortality risk of COVID-19.</p></sec>