Pollen may increase the risk of getting COVID-19

Exposure to pollen may increase the risk of developing COVID-19, which is not just a problem for people with allergies, a new study published on March 9 shows.Plant physiologist Luis JiskaCo-author of a new peer-reviewed study on pollen and climate change and other recent studies, explains the findings and why pollen seasons are longer and more intense.

What does pollen have to do with viruses?

The· The most important points from our new research Pollen can be a factor in exacerbating COVID-19.

A few years ago my co-author showed it How pollen can be suppressed by the human immune system Reacts to viruses. By interfering with proteins that have an antiviral response in the cells that line the airways, people can be made more vulnerable to all potential hosts of respiratory viruses such as influenza virus and other SARS viruses.

In this study, we paid particular attention to COVID-19. I wanted to see how the number of new infections changes as pollen levels rise and fall in 31 countries around the world. On average, about 44% of changes in COVID-19 case rates were found to be associated with pollen exposure, often with a synergistic effect of humidity and temperature.

The infection rate tended to increase after 4 days of high pollen count. In the absence of local blockade, infection rates increased by an average of about 4 percent per 100 cubic meters of air pollen. Due to the strict blockade, the increase has been halved.

This exposure to pollen is not just a problem for people with hay fever. It is generally a reaction to pollen. Even pollen types that normally do not cause allergic reactions have been correlated with increased COVID-19 infection.

What precautions can people take?

On days with high pollen levels, try to stay indoors as much as possible to limit exposure.

When you are outdoors, wear a mask during the pollen season. Pollen grains are large enough that almost any mask designed for allergies will help prevent pollen. However, if you are sneezing or coughing, wear a mask that is effective against the coronavirus. If COVID-19 is asymptomatic, sneezing is more likely to spread the virus. Mild cases of COVID-19 can also be mistaken for allergies.

Why is the pollen season so long?

We are watching as the climate changes Three things Especially related to pollen.

One is early in the pollen season. Spring changes begin early and there are worldwide signs of exposure to pollen early in the season.

Second, the overall pollen season is getting longer. Exposure to pollen is about 20 days longer in North America, from spring, which is primarily caused by tree pollen, to summer, which is weeds and grass, and autumn, which is primarily ragweed. It was in 1990. It turns out that the seasons are even more pronounced as we move towards the poles where temperatures rise sharply.

Third, more pollen is being produced. My colleague and I explained all three changes in a treatise published in February.

As climate change increases pollen numbers, it can potentially result in greater human susceptibility to the virus.

These changes in the pollen season have been underway for decades. Looking back at the various records of pollen retention that my colleagues and I have found since the 1970s, we have found solid evidence that these changes have occurred for at least the last 30-40 years.

The concentration of greenhouse gases is rising and the surface of the earth is warming. This will be life-threatening, as we know it. I have been studying climate change for 30 years. The current environment is so endemic that it is difficult to investigate medical problems, at least without trying to understand whether climate change is already or is affecting it.

Luis Jiska is an associate professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University.