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. 2021 Feb:193:110556.
doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110556. Epub 2020 Dec 3.

Air quality and COVID-19 adverse outcomes: Divergent views and experimental findings

Leonardo Becchetti  1 , Gabriele Beccari  2 , Gianluigi Conzo  2 , Pierluigi Conzo  3 , Davide De Santis  2 , Francesco Salustri  4
Affiliations

Air quality and COVID-19 adverse outcomes: Divergent views and experimental findings

Leonardo Becchetti et al. Environ Res. 2021 Feb.

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.

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Conflict of interest statement

We have no interests to declare

References

    1. Austin Wes. International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University; 2020. COVID-19 Mortality and Contemporaneous Air Pollution. No. Paper2016.
    1. Becchetti L., Beccari G., De Santis D. vol. 159. SOAS University of London; 2020. (Lagged Particulate Matter, Contagions and Deaths: the Relationship between Quality of Air and COVID-19 at European Level). Cefimsdp.
    1. Becchetti L., Beccari G., Conzo G., Conzo P., De Santis D., Salustri F. Mimeo; 2020. Particulate Matter and COVID-19 Excess Deaths: Decomposing Long-Term Exposure and Short-Term Effects. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Becchetti L., Conzo G., Conzo P., Salustri F. Understanding the heterogeneity of adverse COVID-19 outcomes: the role of poor quality of air and lockdown decisions. 2020. Available at: SSRN: - DOI - PMC - PubMed
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