Singh Bhupendra Pratap
Department of Environmental Studies, School of Interdisciplinary and Applied Sciences (SIAS), Central University of Haryana, Jant Pali, Mahendergarh, 123029, India.
Ecohealth. 2025 May 29. doi: 10.1007/s10393-025-01720-2.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on global public health, highlighting the complex relationship between air pollution and disease transmission. Approximately 2.3 billion people live in regions with high levels of air pollution, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, with countries like India facing severe challenges. This review examines the association between various pollutants, including PM, PM, NO, SO, and CO, and the spread, severity, and mortality of COVID-19. Particulate matter, particularly fine particles, serves as a carrier for viral particles, facilitating faster transmission and increasing respiratory vulnerability. Studies have shown that long-term exposure to air pollutants exacerbates the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, especially in densely populated urban areas. During the lockdown phases, significant reductions in air pollution were observed, including decreases in PM by up to 93%, PM10 by 83%, and NO levels, which contributed to improved air quality and potentially mitigated COVID-19 mortality rates. The review also underscores regional disparities, with marginalized populations bearing a disproportionate burden of pollution exposure and health impacts. Gaseous pollutants such as NO were found to contribute to respiratory inflammation, increasing the susceptibility to severe COVID-19 outcomes. Additionally, the review explores the influence of meteorological and climatic factors on COVID-19 outcomes, noting the varying impact of temperature, humidity, and other factors depending on the season, geographical location, and latitude. These findings offer critical insights for policymakers and public health authorities in developing strategies for mitigating both air pollution and COVID-19 transmission.
新冠疫情对全球公共卫生产生了深远影响,凸显了空气污染与疾病传播之间的复杂关系。约23亿人生活在空气污染严重的地区,尤其是亚太地区,像印度这样的国家面临严峻挑战。本综述探讨了包括细颗粒物、可吸入颗粒物、氮氧化物、二氧化硫和一氧化碳在内的各种污染物与新冠病毒传播、严重程度及死亡率之间的关联。颗粒物,尤其是细颗粒物,充当病毒颗粒的载体,促进病毒更快传播并增加呼吸道易感性。研究表明,长期暴露于空气污染物会加剧新冠症状的严重程度,在人口密集的城市地区尤为如此。在封锁阶段,空气污染显著下降,包括细颗粒物最多下降93%、可吸入颗粒物下降83%以及氮氧化物水平下降,这有助于改善空气质量并可能降低新冠死亡率。该综述还强调了地区差异,边缘化人群承受着不成比例的污染暴露负担和健康影响。氮氧化物等气态污染物会导致呼吸道炎症,增加感染严重新冠后果的易感性。此外,该综述探讨了气象和气候因素对新冠疫情结果的影响,指出温度、湿度和其他因素的影响因季节、地理位置和纬度而异。这些发现为政策制定者和公共卫生当局制定减轻空气污染和新冠病毒传播的策略提供了关键见解。