Air Pollution and COVID-19: Any Causal Link?

Abstract

Several studies have amply proved that air pollution negatively impacts human health. The nature of its effects on COVID-19 has, of late, become an area for investigation across the world. The present study reviews reports in the literature that centred on whether the presence and impact of air pollutants magnified the symptoms and actions of COVID-19 and whether preventive measures taken, starting with lockdown, affected air pollution levels. This may help to establish causality, if any, between pollution and COVID-19. Studies were chosen to ensure representation of all continents with diverse climatic conditions with the exception of Australia. Most of the studies concluded that air pollutants declined as a result of the lockdowns imposed to constrain the spread of COVID-19. A significant reduction in NO2 is observed along with the resultant increase in tropospheric ozone in the atmosphere. The inference is untrue in hostile meteorological conditions. According to some studies, reduction in pollutants aided in contracting the spread and severity of COVID-19. On the other hand, hostile weather conditions incited the spread and magnitude of COVID-19. A governmental policy inference could be that government intervention through imposing a lockdown would reduce air pollution and ensure the health safety of the people, but economic growth considerations need to be balanced against the benefit for public health.

Keywords

• covid-19
• air pollution
• lockdown