People exposed to air pollution experienced Covid-19 as if they were 10 years older, and were more likely to die from the infection, two new studies found.
According to The Guardian, the first study conducted by Belgian researchers, followed more than 300 patients who were hospitalized with Covid-19 between May 2020 and March 2021.
Data on the levels of three pollutants – fine particles, nitrogen dioxide and soot – at the patients’ homes were gathered and the amount of soot in the patients’ blood was also measured.
Other factors known to affect Covid-19 disease, such as age, sex and weight, were taken into account.
The researchers found that people exposed to high levels of air pollution experienced Covid-19 symptoms as if they were 10 years older.
They also found people exposed to the higher level of pollutants a week before hospital admission went on to spend about four more days in hospital, adding that the lower level of air pollution resulted in health improvements equivalent to 40-80% of the benefits of medicines used to treat Covid, such as remdesivir.
The study showed that air pollution levels measured in patients’ blood were linked to a 36% increase in the risk of needing intensive care treatment.
“Reducing air pollution, even when at relatively low levels, increases the health of the population and makes them less susceptible to future pandemics,” said Prof. Tim Nawrot, at Hasselt University in Belgium.
“The pandemic placed an enormous strain on doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. Our research suggests that air pollution made that burden even greater,” he added.
The second study, conducted by researchers from Denmark, used Denmark’s national Covid-19 surveillance system to follow all 3.7 million people in the country aged 30 or older over the first 14 months of the pandemic. It found patients exposed to higher level of small particle air pollution in 2019 were about 23% more likely to go on to die from Covid-19.
Dr. Zorana Jovanovic Andersen, at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and senior author of the Danish study, said: “These results show how air pollution can compromise our immune system and leave us vulnerable. Reduction of air pollution should be at the heart of preventive measures for current and future pandemics.”
Air pollution is known to be a major risk factor in aggravating respiratory diseases. It increases inflammation in the lungs and weakens immune defenses.
