Coronavirus: 'India must cut pollution to avoid Covid disaster'

[KY_EnviroGuy]

Coronavirus: 'India must cut pollution to avoid Covid disaster'
By Vikas Pandey
BBC News, Delhi

Read here: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-54596245

(snips)

India's dreaded pollution season has returned as air quality in the capital Delhi and other northern cities rapidly deteriorated in the last two weeks.

This is bad news for India's fight against coronavirus because several studies around the world have linked air pollution to higher Covid-19 case numbers and deaths.

A Harvard University study shows that an increase of only one microgram per cubic metre in PM 2.5 - dangerous tiny pollutants in the air - is associated with an 8% increase in the Covid-19 death rate. Another study by scientists at the UK's University of Cambridge also found a link between the severity of Covid-19 infection and long-term exposure to air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and ground-level ozone from car exhaust fumes or burning of fossil fuels.

"Such pollutants can also cause a persistent inflammatory response and increase the risk of infection by viruses that target the respiratory tract," Marco Travaglio, one of the co-authors of the study, told the BBC.

another very interesting point.....

"In addition to air pollution decreasing immune defences, it is thought that particulate and nitrogen dioxide found in air pollution can act as vectors for the spread and survival of airborne particles such as Covid [virus]," Ms Prunicki said.

"One study of mice found that nitrogen dioxide increases the number of receptors to which the virus binds 100 fold."

Not good news for people living near power plants or other facilities emitting lots of NOx and/or particulate.

KY........