Air pollution and COVID severity are related, the study says

This adds to the existing evidence that air pollution is a silent killeraccording to Chen Chen, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of California and lead author of the study published in the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA).

The study looked at more than 150,000 cases of COVID-19 in Ontario patients in 2020. It revealed how many of those patients were admitted to hospital with the disease, how many were transferred to intensive care units. and some were killed.

The researchers then turned to previously generated data that combined air surveillance records with other sources, such as satellite imagery, to model levels of three common pollutants across Ontario. : fine particles, nitrogen dioxide and tropospheric ozone.

Nitrogen dioxide is contained in exhaust gases emitted by engines, which are then decomposed into the atmosphere to ozone. Together, the three pollutants create smog.

The scientists then combined health and pollution data, using statistical methods to eliminate the effects of more than ten different external factors, such as pre-existing conditions and socio-economic status.

Researchers have shown that a more severe reaction to the virus is associated with higher levels of long -term exposure to airborne contaminants.

• For every 25% increase in fine particles to which a patient is exposed, the chance of being admitted to hospital after being infected with COVID-19 increases by 6% and the chance of being admitted to an intensive care unit increases. of 9%. The team found no link between death rates and grain exposure.
• The effects are lower for nitrogen dioxide.
• For ground-level ozone, the study found that the correlations for every 25% increase in exposure were higher. The risk of hospitalization increased by 15%. ICU admissions jumped 30% and mortality rates were 18%.

In people who were already infected, we observed that some of them who were exposed to higher levels of air pollution before their infection had a higher likelihood of worse results.according to Chen Chen.

The study builds on previous research looking at immediate correlations between pollution levels and COVID-19 infections. According to the epidemiologist, this technique fails to capture what could be the long -term effects of air pollutants.

Chen Chen warned that the study did not establish that the three pollutants actually caused the worsening result of COVID-19, but that was not a surprise. These contaminants are known to irritate the lungs and lung function, and COVID-19 is a lung disease.

We know that this virus attacks our pulmonary system. So it is possible that exposure to more air pollution before infection makes you more vulnerable.he pointed out.

The epidemiologist said the study opens the door to more detailed research into how COVID-19 results vary: for example, on the effect of age or socioeconomic status.