Follow your Gut
Air pollution can cause a myriad of health issues, and studies show it has also significantly affected the COVID-19 outbreak.One recent study conducted in Germany, France, Italy, and Spain found that 78% of the total COVID-19 deaths in these countries had occurred in just 5 regions of northern Italy and Spain.These areas also happened to be heavily polluted with the highest concentration of nitrogen dioxide.
Another by Harvard University found that evena slight increase in air pollution exposure could severely affect the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. Preliminary findings from Italy also show coronavirus on particles of air pollution, meaning there is a possibility that pollution could serve as a vector, causing the virus to spread even more.
These findings are not too different from what was discovered during the SARS outbreak; a study from 2003 concluded that individuals were 84% more likely to die from SARS if they lived in areas with high levels of air pollution . Given that air pollution exposure is known to weaken the bodies immune system, individuals are less capable of fighting off the virus as a result .
Have Global Lockdowns Led to Improvements in Air Quality?
The COVID-19 Air Quality Report from IQAir found that 9 out of 10 key global cities experienced drastic drops in air pollution during COVID-19 lockdowns . Those cities with the highest levels of pollution (New Delhi, Seoul, and Wuhan) also experienced the largest drops during this period .
A recent study published in The Lancet also found that air pollution significantly reduced in China as a result of COVID-19-related lockdowns. Researchers estimated that the improvements in air quality averted a total of 12,125 deaths (largely cardiovascular- and COPD-related), a number much larger than the current number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths in China (4,633 as of 4 May 2020) . While air quality has improved temporarily in many major cities (see video below), chances are the results will not last, unless countries continue to enforce air pollution regulations once lockdowns lift.
Category: Air Polution
