Is your fight against COVID-19 going up in smoke?

The next Batman, Robert Pattinson, has been caught smoking and vaping -- and he contracted COVID-19 in September. A coincidence? Maybe not. It turns out both smoking and vaping substantially increase your risk of contracting the virus -- probably by altering your immune response to infection. According to a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, electronic cigarette users (just like tobacco cigarette users) have a very depressed immune response to influenza virus infection, suggesting increased susceptibility to COVID-19.

This insight comes on the heels of a Stanford University School of Medicine study that found teens and young adults who vape are five times more likely to contract COVID-19 than non-vapers. If they vape and smoke cigarettes, they’re seven times more likely.

If you’ve been vaping to stay off cigarettes or you smoke cigs -- or both -- it’s important to stop. You’ll protect your lungs from damage that makes them a target for respiratory infections, and you’ll spare your immune system changes that weaken your ability to fight off the flu and COVID-19.

-- There are Food and Drug Administration-approved smoking-cessation products. Check out ones you see online at www.accessdata.fda. gov/ scripts/ cder/daf/. Type in a brand name to see if it’s safe and effective.

-- Download the quitstart app from smokefree.gov on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Carry support in the palm of your hand!

-- And manage your withdrawal symptoms with smoking-cessation products, like a nicotine patch or gum, exercise, deep breathing, meditation and distraction, such as playing a digital game.