Air pollution linked to 15% of virus deaths globally: Research

PARIS: Long-term exposure to air pollution may be linked to 15% of Covid-19 deaths globally, according to research published on Tuesday that highlights the health risks posed by greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers, including those from Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Germany, found that in Europe the proportion of Covid deaths linked to air pollution was about 19%, in North America it was 17%, and in East Asia about 27%.
The study, published in the journal Cardiovascular Research, is the first to estimate the proportion of Covid deaths that could be attributed to the exacerbating effects of air pollution for every country in the world. The researchers used epidemiological data from previous US and Chinese studies of air pollution and Covid-19 and Sars outbreak in 2003. They combined this with satellite data showing global exposure to polluting fine particles known as ‘particulate matter’ that are less than or equal to 2.5 microns in diameter (known as PM2.5), information on atmospheric conditions and ground-based pollution monitoring networks.
The team noted that particulate matter appeared to increase the activity of a receptor on lung cell surfaces, ACE-2, which is known to be involved in the way Covid-19 infects patients. “So we have a double hit: air pollution damages the lungs and increases the activity of ACE-2, which in turn leads to enhanced uptake of virus,” the study said. Jos Lelieveld of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry said “the pollution particles are a co-factor in aggravating the disease”. He said their estimates suggested that over 6,100 Covid deaths in UK and around 40,000 in US could be attributed to air pollution.