Effects of long-term exposure to air pollutants on the spatial spread of COVID-19 in Catalonia, Spain.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The risk of infection and death by COVID-19 could be associated with a heterogeneous distribution at a small area level of environmental, socioeconomic and demographic factors. Our objective was to investigate, at a small area level, whether long-term exposure to air pollutants increased the risk of COVID-19 incidence and death in Catalonia, Spain, controlling for socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Methods

We used a mixed longitudinal ecological design with the study population consisting of small areas in Catalonia for the period February 25 to May 16, 2020. We estimated Generalized Linear Mixed models in which we controlled for a wide range of observed and unobserved confounders as well as spatial and temporal dependence.

Results

We have found that lo

SUBMITTER: Saez M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7486876 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature