Exposure to air pollution increases Covid-19 deaths by 15% worldwide: Study

Long-term exposure to air pollution has been linked to an increased risk of dying from Covid-19 and, for the first time, a study has estimated the proportion of deaths from the coronavirus that could be attributed to the exacerbating effects of air pollution for every country in the world. The study, published in Cardiovascular Research on Tuesday, estimated that about 15% of deaths worldwide from Covid-19 could be attributed to long-term exposure to air pollution. In Europe the proportion was about 19%, in North America it was 17%, and in East Asia about 27%.In their CVR paper, the researchers write that these proportions are an estimate of “the fraction of Covid-19 deaths that could be avoided if the population were exposed to lower counterfactual air pollution levels without fossil fuel-related and other anthropogenic [caused by humans] emissions”. They add that this “attributable fraction does not imply a direct cause-effect relationship between air pollution and Covid-19 mortality (although it is possible). Instead, it refers to relationships between two, direct and indirect, i.e. by aggravating co-morbidities [other health conditions] that could lead to fatal health outcomes of the virus infection”.The research team includes Professor Jos Lelieveld, of the… Read full this story

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