What we do and do not know about the links between air pollution and COVID-19 (draft 2)

Lewis, an atmospheric scientist, reported in The conversion (2020) that connecting air pollution and coronavirus is superficial. He states that correlating the two “have often failed to take other geographically-connected factors into account”. He says that air pollution in rich countries is “usually a population-centred problem”, this close link between cities and air pollution makes it hard to identify how pollution effects the mortality of COVID-19. He then focuses on urban areas, stating that they face similar situations through the regular use of mass transit system. Air pollution data is one of the only legitimate data that is easily accessible, leading to one having the misconception that air pollution has a proportionate effect on COVID-19 while referring to that data. The writer believes that more datasets will appear in future to allow one to study the connections between air pollution and COVID-19. Until that happens, she believes that connecting the two is inaccurate.I agree with  Lewis's viewpoint, I believe in the past few months ever since he made his comment, many more data have been produced to prove the links between Air pollution and COVID-19.


A study was made in Italy to prove the links between COVID-19 and air pollution by  comparing  

Frontera, Cianfanelli, , Vlachos, K., Landoni, & Cremona,(2020), made a study in  ‘Severe air pollution links to higher mortality in COVID-19 patients: The ‘‘double-hit’’ hypothesis’ on the links between SARS-CoV-2 (also known as COVID-19) and air pollutants”. They compiled data from the “Italian Civil  Protection Agency” and “emmsion of air pollutants registered in every Italian region” to find out the links between COVID-19 cases and PM 2.5 levels (air pollution concentration). With the aid of a graph (Fig 1) and several detailed studies, they were able to conclude that “A link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and air pollution is plausible”.

In “COVID-19 and air pollution: A dangerous association?”, Urrutia-Pereira, M., Mello-da-Silva, C., & Solé, D. (2020 July 1) discussed the association between COVID-19 and air pollution. They state in their conclusion that high amount of air pollution can impact the “body’s natural defence against air borne viruses” increasing the chances the chances people being in contact with viral diseases.  They added, Air pollution are likely the culprit to contributing to the amount of severe cases and deaths by COIVD-19.

Looking at another source from “ Assessing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels as a contributing factor to coronavirus (COVID-19) fatality” , Ogen, Y. (2020, April 11), presented a graph (fig 2) to show the links between N02 concentration and deaths due to COVID-19  on selected countries. The graph shows a directly proportional relationship between the two.  Ogen ended his report with eh conclusion, “ This chronic exposure could be an important contributor to the high COVID-19 fatality rates”.

 

To conclude, while the claim made by Lewis was true at her time, it is not properly justified in our present time. Many more legitimate research have been made to prove the links between COVID 19 and air pollution, which are all dated after Lewis made his claim.




Fig 1

 




Fig 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References


Carrington, D. (2020, April 20). Air pollution may be 'key contributor' to Covid-19 deaths – study. Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/20/air-pollution-may-be-key-

Lewis, A. (2020, May 13). What We Do and Don’t Know about the Links between Air Pollution and Coronavirus. What We Do and Don’t Know about the Links between Air Pollution and Coronavirus. Retrieved 2020, from https://theconversation.com/what-we-do-and-dont-know-about-the-links-between-air-pollution-and-coronavirus-137746

 

 Ogen, Y. (2020, April 11). Assessing nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels as a contributing factor to coronavirus (COVID-19) fatality. Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720321215

 

Urrutia-Pereira, M., Mello-da-Silva, C., & Solé, D. (2020). COVID-19 and air pollution: A dangerous association? Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7328542/

 


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