Smoking and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

In April 2003, rumours spread that smoking protected patients from developing SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). In a case‐control study of 447 patients who attended a SARS screening clinic, 63 patients were admitted with SARS. Although a higher proportion of SARS cases were non‐smokers than smokers, the adjusted odds of non‐smokers with SARS was 1.7 (p=0.54). There is no evidence that smoking protects patients from developing SARS.