That's particularly concerning for the more than 1 billion smokers worldwide who are at higher risk of a getting a serious case of COVID-19. After months or years of a nicotine habit, quitting now may not help a smoker's odds when it comes to the present danger. And yet, the crisis is serving as a wake-up call for many to pay better attention to their health.

As a result, smoking cessation startups are among the healthcare companies seeing their business improve since the outbreak started. [...]