COVID-19 Air Pollution Exposure Associated with Increasing Incidence and Mortality-A New Study

Global death toll from COVID-19 has passed Half a million.. There is a need to better understand why some places have more cases and deaths than others to slow the spread of the disease.

One factor that can partially explain this is air pollution. Studies have shown that long-term exposure to pollutants such as particulate matter (often called PM2.5 because it is a particle smaller than 2.5 micrometers), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) Reduce lung function And Cause respiratory illness.. These pollutants also Persistent inflammatory response even Relatively young To increase the risk of infection by viruses that target the respiratory tract.

The pathogen that causes COVID-19 – SARS-CoV-2 – is one such virus. Some research It has already been suggested that poor air quality may increase people’s risk of becoming infected with the virus, increasing the risk of serious illness or death. Ah American studies We found that even a small increase in PM2.5 concentration of 1 microgram per cubic meter increased COVID-19 mortality by 8%. our New research Examining the relationship between the COVID-19 case and exposure to air pollution in the Netherlands, we found that comparable numbers in that country could be up to 16.6%.

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Unusual case in the Netherlands

After analyzing data from 355 municipalities in the Netherlands, an increase in the concentration of particulate matter of 1 microgram per cubic meter is associated with an increase in up to 15 COVID-19 cases, 4 hospitalizations and 3 deaths. I found out.

The first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Netherlands occurred in late February and late June Over 50,000 cases It was confirmed. The nationwide spread of COVID-19 cases shows more in the southeastern region.

Unusually, these epidemic hotspots are located in relatively rural areas with few inhabitants nearby. The Dutch media provided one potential explanation. Each year in late February and early March, thousands of people gather in these areas for street parties and parades. 2020 was no exception, so why is COVID-19 so popular?

Carnival celebrations are likely to have played a role, but the pattern of cases across these regions suggests that other factors may be at least as important.

North-eastern Brabant and Limburg provinces House It accounts for over 63% of the country’s 12 million pigs and 42% of the 101 million chickens. The intensive production of livestock produces large amounts of ammonia. These particles are often A significant proportion Air pollution This concentration is the highest in air samples from the southeastern part of the Netherlands.

The correlation between these air pollution indicators and the COVID-19 case is clear, but is it just a coincidence?

Pollutants related to COVID-19

Our analysis used COVID-19 data through June 5, 2020 to capture almost all known courses of Dutch epidemics. The relationship between pollution and COVID-19 exists even after controlling for other factors such as carnival, age, health, income, and population density.

Applying our results in the context, the average annual maximum concentration of fine particulate matter in the Dutch municipality is 12.3 micrograms per cubic meter, with a minimum of 6.9. If the concentration of the most polluted municipalities falls to the least polluted level, our results lead to 82 disease cases, 24 hospitalizations, 19 deaths, purely as a result of changes in pollution Suggests.

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What we do and don’t know about the link between air pollution and coronaviruses

The correlation found between exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 is not simply the result of a cluster of cases of disease in large cities with more likely pollution. After all, the Dutch COVID-19 hotspot was relatively rural. Still, regional level data is only available so far. Within the region, pollution levels and COVID-19 cases can vary considerably from location to location, making it difficult to estimate the exact relationship between the two.

Being able to study this relationship between individuals will allow us to more accurately rule out the effects of age and health. However, until this type of data becomes available, evidence of the relationship between pollution and COVID-19 cannot be conclusive.