In my opinion, I think its kinda silly. Smoking damages lungs, reduces lung capacity, leads to long term health issues, and is a leading cause of death in the world. The military may discourage smoking, it certainly hasnt banned it. So if claiming health issues that havent been fully vetted as a true long term limiting factor as a reason to bar someone from service, I would think smoking would be more of a no-no than a virus we have had contact with for a few months.
It may be, in the long run. But we also know that although smoking does damage everyone's lungs who smoke, not all smokers get cancer or COPD. You could also extend that logic to drinking, right?
Other DQ: asthma, asthmatic bronchitis, color blindness*, having dentures or tooth implants, being on statin drugs*, undescended testicle, > 22% body fat... so as you see, some of these are just BS.
With respect to covid specifically, there are actually a couple different categories which could make it a DQ:
Lungs, Chest Wall, Pleura, and Mediastinum
The following conditions will disqualify you for military service:
a. Abnormal elevation of the diaphragm, either side.
b. Abscess of the lung.
c. Acute infectious processes of the lung, until cured.
d. Asthma, including reactive airway disease, exercise induced bronchospasm or asthmatic bronchitis, reliably diagnosed at any age. Reliable diagnostic criteria should consist of any of the following elements:
(1) Substantiated history of cough, wheeze, and/or dyspnea that persists or recurs over a prolonged period of time, generally more than 6 months.
(2) If the diagnosis of asthma is in doubt, a test for reversible airflow obstruction (greater than a 15 percent increase in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEVI) following administration of an inhaled bronchodilator) or airway hyperactivity (exaggerated decrease in airflow induced by standard bronchoprovocation challenge such as methacholine inhalation or a demonstration of exercise-induced bronchospasm) must be performed.
e. Bronchitis, chronic, symptoms over 3 months occurring at least twice a year.
f. Bronchiectasis.
g. Bronchopleural fistula.
h. Bullous or generalized pulmonary emphysema.
i. Chronic mycotic diseases of the lung including coccidioidomycosis.
j. Chest wall malformation or fracture that interferes with vigorous physical exertion.
k. Empyema, including residual pleural effusion or unhealed sinuses of chest wall.
l. Extensive pulmonary fibrosis.
m. Foreign body in lung, trachea, or bronchus.
n. Lobectomy, with residual pulmonary disease or removal of more than one lobe.
o. Pleurisy with effusion, within the previous 2 years if known or unknown origin.
p. Pneumothorax during the year preceding examination if due to a simple trauma or surgery; during the 3 years preceding examination from spontaneous origin. Recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax after surgical correction or pleural sclerosis.
q. Sarcoidosis.
r. Silicone breast implants, encapsulated if less than 9 months since surgery or with symptomatic complications.
s. Tuberculous lesions.
*waiverable
