Editorial: Does COVID Quarantine Reduce Summer Contamination?

The COVID-19 pandemic is an awakening call for many and makes us uncomfortable with seemingly stable self-satisfaction. It is difficult to deny our interconnection or our dependence on others and our environment.

One of the silver linings of this pandemic is the reduction in air pollution following the blockade. As summer approaches and the region reopens, we must not forget about other threats to public health and how the pandemic affects other global issues.

The first is related to the expected increase in air pollution. Data released by NASA and the European Space Agency show that some of the epicenters of COVID-19 are contaminated, including Wuhan, Italy, Spain, and the United States. Up to 30% lower..

Nitrogen dioxide decreased by 63% in Wuhan (NO₂) The degree of concentration when following the instructions at home. Researchers at the University of Birmingham, England, estimated that up to 496 people in Wuhan, 3,368 people in Hubei province, and 10,822 people in China could have died due to reduced air pollution. The potentially preventable deaths could even exceed the official Chinese death toll from COVID-19 itself. Underestimate the actual case..

Yale University’s study found similar results, with air quality improvements avoiding a total of 8,911 NOs during quarantine in China₂Deaths related to, 65% due to cardiovascular disease (Ie hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stroke) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema and bronchitis). Air pollution in China routinely exceeds World Health Organization guidelines, and without these pollution reductions, hospital admission would have been arguably higher.

A Harvard University study suggests that exposure to the pollution itself may have increased mortality rates for COVID-19 and improved air quality in Wuhan may have reduced mortality rates. Investigators found a slight increase in air pollution of only 1 μg/m^Three For particulate matter below 2.5 microns, 8% increase in COVID-19 dead ratse..

But this temporary air quality suspension is probably short-lived. As the region begins to recover its economy, industrial activity and travel add to the pollutants in its surroundings, making people vulnerable to viruses again. It has important implications not only for people with numerous respiratory illnesses exacerbated by pollution, but also for the impending public health problems associated with COVID-19. Even if COVID-19 incidence is relatively low over the summer months, as expected, increased air pollution could mitigate this effect.

Other summer considerations are heat, smog, and ozone. Stratospheric ozone reduces the ultraviolet light that passes through, while ground-level ozone is a dangerous lung irritant. Ozone is formed when the by-products of burning fossil fuels, including nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, are exposed to heat from the sun and ultraviolet rays to generate smog.

Research JAMA Before smoking was comparable to a pandemic before the increase in only three parts of the ozone layer shows 3 packs of cigarettes daily for 29 years.. Respiratory infections become more common with chronic and lung inflammation.

And then there is the heat index. While protection in place may be the new standard for most of summer, as some people can retreat from charred conditions, closed areas make social distances harder, and viruses can be exposed to the sun and humidity. Because it cannot be inactivated, it increases the risk of disease spread and paves the way for its continued dissemination.

For people who cannot protect themselves from heat (eg poor people, outdoor workers), the risk of heat stress is very high. Unemployment may rise and air conditioner operating costs could be prohibitively high. In addition, many public pools and summer recreation are not open, limiting opportunities to escape the heat. The summer heat disproportionately affects not only the poor, but also patients with chronic diseases such as asthma and heart disease.

Finally, the number of climate disasters is increasing. US Marine and Atmospheric Administration predicts 60% chance of above average hurricanes in extremely hot summers and rising sea levels in the Atlantic Ocean Wind patterns associated with surface temperature.. Needless to say, the meteorological disaster during the pandemic will not only be financially hit by COVID-19, but will also stress our health care system, which is already under stress.

In summary, we cannot ignore the deteriorating environment and focus on COVID alone. Because they are closely related. Our public health is directly affected by our environment. If we want to improve the health of Americans, we must take climate change to the level of public health emergencies and work individually and collectively to protect it.

Elizabeth Celseo, MD, FACP, FHMIs an associate professor of Hospital Medicine and Vice President of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Rowan University Cooper School of Medicine in Camden, NJ.

Last updated: July 24, 2020