Associations of air pollution with COVID-19 positivity, hospitalisations, and mortality: Observational evidence from UK Biobank.

ABSTRACT: Individual-level studies with adjustment for important COVID-19 risk factors suggest positive associations of long-term air pollution exposure (particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide) with COVID-19 infection, hospitalisations and mortality. The evidence, however, remains limited and mechanisms unclear. We aimed to investigate these associations within UK Biobank, and to examine the role of underlying chronic disease as a potential mechanism. UK Biobank COVID-19 positive laboratory test results were ascertained via Public Health England and general practitioner record linkage, COVID-19 hospitalisations via Hospital Episode Statistics, and COVID-19 mortality via Office for National Statistics mortality records from March-December 2020. We used annual average outdoor air pollution modelled a

SUBMITTER: Sheridan C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9243647 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature