Association of Short-term Air Pollution Exposure With SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Young Adults in Sweden

Abstract

Key Points Question Is exposure to residential short-term air pollution associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in young adults? Findings In this case-crossover study of 425 participants with SARS-CoV-2 infection identified within a Swedish population-based birth cohort, short-term air pollution exposure was associated with increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection despite relatively low levels of air pollution exposure. Meaning These findings suggest that air pollution may play a role in COVID-19 and support the potential benefit of reducing air pollutant levels.

Association between long-term exposure to particulate air pollution with SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 deaths in California, U.S.A.

“…We focused on long-term PM 2.5 concentrations and did not factor in the possible effects of short-term and contemporaneous air pollution spikes caused by wildfires. In a recent study, Yu et al, using individual-level data, found that short-term air pollution exposure was associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections in Sweden ( Yu et al 2022 ).…”

Marked rebound of agricultural fire emissions in Asia after the outbreak of COVID-19

“…We find that the increased fire particle emissions caused severe air pollution episodes in the NECP during spring 2020, which may appreciably increase the risk of people's premature death associated with cardiorespiratory diseases. As COVID-19 infection remains a threat to human health, communities have paid attention to its complex association with short-term exposure to air pollution (Xu et al 2022, Yu et al 2022. In a similar manner, agricultural fire emissions in Punjab, India, during the COVID-19 pandemic were increased, which could contribute not only to air pollution in the local and outflow areas, like the haze in Delhi (Montes et al 2022), but also to the melting of Himalayan glaciers (Li et al 2016).…”

Reply to: “COVID‐19 pandemic and environment: Not only air pollution.”

“…2 More than the geographical population density, it has been suggested that, in addition to other variables mentioned in our paper, the population density in confined spaces, such as homes and working places, may influence the virus spread. 2,3 However, the high population density in confined spaces existing in some southern cities, where many people live in small houses, was still associated with a lower mortality rate compared with that of northern cities. 2 Therefore, we still think that environmental air pollution represents a major factor in influencing COVID-19 burden and mortality.…”

“…4 In accordance with the epithelial barrier hypothesis, it was recently reported that bacterial DNA passage to circulation, a marker of epithelial barrier leakiness in the gut, has been shown to be linked to severe COVID-19. 5 Moreover, although recent studies suggest that even a shortterm exposure to pollutants is associated with SARS CoV-2 infection, 3…”

“…Moreover, although recent studies suggest that even a short‐term exposure to pollutants is associated with SARS CoV‐2 infection, 3 chronic exposure has a more relevant role in influencing incidence and severity of COVID‐19 than actual values of pollutants during the pandemic, possibly influenced by the reduced vehicle traffic and industrial emissions.…”