Air Pollution May Increase the Rate of COVID-19 Mortality: Study Finds

04 Dec 2021

A study, carried by Harvard University, shows the concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 may increase the number of COVID-19 mortality. The basic hypothesis is that particulate matter and harmful pollutants can foster coronavirus and affecting the respiratory system, making it more vulnerable to COVID-19.

Since the pandemic outbroke, there have been many reports published in different newspapers and journals on how bad air quality may increase the severity of Covid-19. Cambridge University carried out a study and found some pieces of evidence, indicating to a connection between the severity of Covid-19 infection and long-term exposure to air pollutants.

The study says that a person, having been exposed to particulate matter, is vulnerable to the infection with 8% more likelihood of dying due to the coronavirus than those living in areas with low pollutants. The researchers concluded that a small increase in exposure to pollutants could lead to a large increase in COVID-19 mortality.

Air Contaminants That May Increase the Chances of COVID-19 mortality:

The mortality of COVID-19 evidently is subject to different health conditions like diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, obesity and smoking, along with cardiovascular and respiratory complications. Considering the impact of air pollution on these health complications, a relationship between poor air quality and COVID-19 mortality cannot be denied. Several health experts in the USA have linked the severity of coronavirus to PM2.5 µm exposure.

Recently, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has suggested some effective measures to improve the air quality by reducing the levels of NO2 and particulate matter. The report concludes with some important findingsthat hint at how air contaminants may increase the chances of COVID-19 death.The report highlights the following conclusions:

·        Long-term exposure to air contaminants may weaken the body’s immune system, making it ineffective against airborne contaminations. Sooner or later, it increases the possibility of contracting SARS-CoV-2.

·        Air pollution is a contributing factor for several chronic health complications, which require intensive care. People with chronic respiratory stress are likely to die if they test positive for COVID-19.

·        Instead of the protective measures laid by the WHO, current levels of air pollution, which remain hazardous in many cities, may increase the number of deaths caused by COVID-19.

 

Solutions to Reduce the Impact of Air Pollution:

Since the war against COVID-19 seems to be longer than expected, it is necessary to find out a sustainable solution to reduce the impact of air pollution at the cellular level, so we are less vulnerable to hazardous health problems when we are tested positive for COVID-19 or other virus-related diseases. 

PetriMed CA™ Air Purification System might be an ideal appliance with efficiency of 99.999%. Unlike an ordinary air purifier for home, this is a complete air purification system with 8-stage filtration technology that features a pre-filter nano-silver antibacterial layer, H14 ISO 50U HEPA filter, built-in ioniser, UV-C technology and activated carbon filter.

 

The pandemic will surely end with herd immunity through a large-scale vaccination program, but unfortunately, there is no vaccine developed to neutralize the impact of poor air quality. An efficient air purification system is one of the solutions that would improve air quality by capturing airborne impurities and tiny particles.