Growing Correlation Between Air Pollution & COVID

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The connection between air pollution and the pandemic continues to grow.

Evidence is mounting that the COVID virus can be attached to particulate air pollution particles. This opens the possibility for transmission to occur over longer distances. We don’t know for sure yet if this is a viable means of spreading the virus, but it is plausible, if not likely, because we know that pollution particles can carry other microorganisms that transmit diseases like Valley Fever (coccidioidomycosis), SARS, influenza, foot and mouth disease, meningitis, and measles.

We know that air pollution contributes to virtually all the pre-existing conditions that make the virus more deadly–heart disease, lung disease, vascular disease, high blood pressure, immune disorders, cancer, type II diabetes, and even obesity.

So it is no surprise that we have found out that higher air pollution increases the risk of mortality if you get infected. And there is early evidence that air pollution increases the risk of getting infected in the first place. Documenting that the virus is attached to air pollution certainly is consistent with what else we are learning about COVID.

Not that we need even more reasons to reduce our air pollution, but add the pandemic to the long and growing list.

Read the published research article in the National Library of Medicine here for details.