Regional and global contributions of air pollution to risk of death from COVID-19.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

The risk of mortality from the coronavirus disease that emerged in 2019 (COVID-19) is increased by comorbidity from cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Air pollution also causes excess mortality from these conditions. Analysis of the first severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-1) outcomes in 2003, and preliminary investigations of those for SARS-CoV-2 since 2019, provide evidence that the incidence and severity are related to ambient air pollution. We estimated the fraction of COVID-19 mortality that is attributable to the long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate air pollution.

Methods and results

We characterized global exposure to fine particulates based on satellite data, and calculated the anthropogenic fraction with an atmospheric chemist

SUBMITTER: Pozzer A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7797754 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature