What kind of lifestyle factors play a role in the COVID-19
pandemic?
Lifestyle factors that may influence SARS-CoV-2 infection susceptibility
and COVID-19 severity include smoking, stress, diet and alcohol intake,
among others. For example, smoking has been shown to increase the
susceptibility to respiratory tract infections and its
severity,266 and it is a risk factor for severe
COVID-19.267 Moreover, alcohol consumption may impair
anti-viral immunity;268 in vitro studies with
human monocytes have shown that both acute and prolonged alcohol
exposures inhibit type I IFN induction upon Toll-like receptor-8 and -4
stimulation269. Dietary habits may also play a role as
obese patients have been shown to have a higher risk of developing
severe COVID-19.270 Furthermore, there are bioactive
food compounds with antiviral activity, such as
resveratrol,271 although the amount of them obtained
through the diet is unlikely to play a relevant role in COVID-19.