In this letter to the editor, we would like to address some main points presented in the manuscript by Lippi G, and Henry BM. [1] regarding smoking as a risk factor for SARS-CoV-2. Even though the author suggested that ACE2 receptors are diminished in severe acute respiratory syndrome patients (SARS-CoV-1), this does not seem to apply to SARS-CoV-2 patients. Actual studies reporting the molecular characteristics of the lungs of smokers indicate that ACE2 receptors seem to be upregulated in both current and former smokers with SARS-CoV-2.
