tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Environ Res
. 2020 Dec 2;110556.
doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110556. Online ahead of print.
AIR quality and COVID-19 adverse outcomes: Divergent views and experimental findings
Leonardo Becchetti[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Gabriele Beccari[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gianluigi Conzo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Pierluigi Conzo[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Davide De Santis[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Francesco Salustri[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: The questioned link between air pollution and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreading or related mortality represents a hot topic that has immediately been regarded in the light of divergent views. A first "school of thought" advocates that what matters are only standard epidemiological variables (i.e. frequency of interactions in proportion of the viral charge). A second school of thought argues that co-factors such as quality of air play an important role too.
Methods: We analyzed available literature concerning the link between air quality, as measured by different pollutants and a number of COVID-19 outcomes, such as number of positive cases, deaths, and excess mortality rates. We reviewed several studies conducted worldwide and discussing many different methodological approaches aimed at investigating causality associations.
Results: Our paper reviewed the most recent empirical researches documenting the existence of a huge evidence produced worldwide concerning the role played by air pollution on health in general and on COVID-19 outcomes in particular. These results support both research hypotheses, i.e. long-term exposure effects and short-term consequences (including the hypothesis of particulate matter acting as viral "carrier") according to the two schools of thought, respectively.
Conclusions: The link between air pollution and COVID-19 outcomes is strong and robust as resulting from many different research methodologies. Policy implications should be drawn from a "rational" assessment of these findings as "not taking any action" represents an action itself.
Keywords: Air Pollution; COVID-19; Environment; Mortality.
. 2020 Dec 2;110556.
doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110556. Online ahead of print.
AIR quality and COVID-19 adverse outcomes: Divergent views and experimental findings
Leonardo Becchetti[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Gabriele Beccari[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Gianluigi Conzo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Pierluigi Conzo[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Davide De Santis[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Francesco Salustri[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33278470
- DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110556
Abstract
Background: The questioned link between air pollution and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreading or related mortality represents a hot topic that has immediately been regarded in the light of divergent views. A first "school of thought" advocates that what matters are only standard epidemiological variables (i.e. frequency of interactions in proportion of the viral charge). A second school of thought argues that co-factors such as quality of air play an important role too.
Methods: We analyzed available literature concerning the link between air quality, as measured by different pollutants and a number of COVID-19 outcomes, such as number of positive cases, deaths, and excess mortality rates. We reviewed several studies conducted worldwide and discussing many different methodological approaches aimed at investigating causality associations.
Results: Our paper reviewed the most recent empirical researches documenting the existence of a huge evidence produced worldwide concerning the role played by air pollution on health in general and on COVID-19 outcomes in particular. These results support both research hypotheses, i.e. long-term exposure effects and short-term consequences (including the hypothesis of particulate matter acting as viral "carrier") according to the two schools of thought, respectively.
Conclusions: The link between air pollution and COVID-19 outcomes is strong and robust as resulting from many different research methodologies. Policy implications should be drawn from a "rational" assessment of these findings as "not taking any action" represents an action itself.
Keywords: Air Pollution; COVID-19; Environment; Mortality.