PM10 exposure is associated with increased hospitalizations for respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis among infants in Lombardy, Italy

Carugno, Michele; Dentali, Francesco; Mathieu, Giovanni; Fontanella, Andrea; Mariani, Jacopo; Bordini, Lorenzo; Milani, Gregorio P.; Consonni, Dario; Bonzini, Matteo; Bollati, Valentina; Pesatori, Angela Cecilia

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2018.06.016

Cited by 80 publications

(86 citation statements)

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“…These data strengthened another report by Ye Q. and colleagues (Ye, 2016) where it has been demonstrated that air pollutants significantly increase the risk of RSV infection with dosage, lag, and cumulative effects. Similarly, Carugno et al have previously demonstrated the dangerous exposition of the Northern Italy population to air pollutants (Carugno, 2018); in their study, they described the shortterm effects of PM-10 and NO 2 exposure in Lombardy, where increasing concentrations of air pollution were associated with increased mortality and hospital admissions. Accordingly, it is reasonable to assume that the prolonged cellular oxidative stress induced by the inhaled pollutants should be considered a predisposing condition for the severe impact of respiratory viruses on respiratory system.…”

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confidence: 74%

SARS-CoV-2 spread in Northern Italy: what about the pollution role?

Sciomer

Moscucci

Magrì

et al. 2020

Environ Monit Assess

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The recent epidemic of the new SARS-CoV-2 in the northern regions of Italy is putting the organization of the Italian health system under serious attack. The current emergency requires all possible efforts to stem the spread of the virus. In this context, it is clear that we have the urgent need to rely upon etiopathogenetic data, in order to do all possible efforts to block the epidemic. However, observing the trend of the infections in China and the geographic areas of the main outbreaks, it could be hypothesized that air pollution plays a role. In particular, it has been previously demonstrated, in specific populations, a role of particulate matter in worsening clinical presentation of virus infection in airways. Without prejudice to the ascertained virus spread by air droplets or contaminated surfaces, the factors that could have favored its spread remain to be investigated. Moreover, if these observations were to be confirmed, when the health emergency is resolved, it will be mandatory to redesign an economic-productive model in balance with the environment.

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confidence: 74%

SARS-CoV-2 spread in Northern Italy: what about the pollution role?

Sciomer

Moscucci

Magrì

et al. 2020

Environ Monit Assess

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“…Some studies have focused on the effect of meteorology and air pollution on acute viral respiratory infections and viral bronchiolitis (a disease linked to seasonal changes in respiratory viruses) in the first years of life (Nenna et al, 2017;Ségala et al, 2008;Vandini et al, 2013Vandini et al, , 2015. Carugno et al (2018) analyze respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the primary cause of acute lower respiratory infections in children: bronchiolitis. Results suggest that seasonal weather conditions and concentration of air pollutants seem to influence RSV-related bronchiolitis epidemics in Italian urban areas.…”

Section: Infected Individuals Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The day after, February 26, 2020, the mistral wind and then the north wind swept the entire Journal Pre-proof Po valley, bringing to Lombardy region a substantial reduction in the average daily concentrations of PM 10 , which almost everywhere were lower than 50 micrograms of particulate matter/m 3 of air. Hence, high concentration of nitrogen dioxide, a noxious gas, particulate air pollutants emitted by motor vehicles, power plants, and industrial facilities in North Italy seems to be a platform to support diffusion of viral infectivity (Groulx et al, 2018), increase hospitalizations for respiratory virus bronchiolitis (cf., Carugno et al, 2018;Nenna et al, 2017), increase asthma incidence (Liao et al, 2011) and damage the immune system of people (Glencross et al, 2020). As a matter of fact, transmission dynamics of COVID-19 has found in air pollution and meteorological conditions of North Italy an appropriate environment and population to carry out an accelerated diffusion that is generation more than 17,000 deaths and a huge number of hospitalizations in a short period of time (February-March-April, 2020).…”

Section: ) Because Of Covid-19 Outbreak In Italymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, high concentration of nitrogen dioxide and particulate air pollutants emitted by motor vehicles, power plants, and industrial facilities in North Italy seems to be a platform to support diffusion of viral infectivity (Groulx et al, 2018), increase hospitalizations for respiratory virus bronchiolitis (cf., Carugno et al, 2018;Nenna et al, 2017), increase asthma incidence (Liao et al, 2011) and damage to the immune system of people (Glencross et al, 2020). Beelen et al (2013) report the need to draw attention to the continuing effects of air pollution on health.…”

Section: Conclusive Observations: Lessons That Have To Be Learned Andmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors determining the diffusion of COVID-19 and suggested strategy to prevent future accelerated viral infectivity similar to COVID

Coccia

2020

Science of The Total Environment

563

568

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This study has two goals. The first is to explain the geo-environmental determinants of the accelerated diffusion of COVID-19 in Italy that is generating a high level of deaths. The second is to suggest a strategy to cope with future epidemic threats having accelerated viral infectivity in society. Using data on N=55 Italian province capitals, and data of infected individuals at as of April 7 th , 2020, results reveal that the accelerate and vast diffusion of COVID-19 in North Italy has a high association with air pollution of cities measured with days exceeding the limits set for PM10 (particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter) or ozone in previous years. In particular, hinterland cities with average higher number of days exceeding the limits set for PM10 (and a low intensity of wind speed) have a very high number of infected people on 7 th April, 2020 (arithmetic mean about 2,200 infected, with average polluted days greater than 80), than coastal cities also having days of exceeding the limits set for PM10 or ozone but with high intensity of wind speed (arithmetic mean about 944.70 infected individuals, with about 60 average polluted days); moreover, cities having more than 100 days of air pollution (exceeding the limits set for PM10), they have a very high average number of infected people (about 3,350 infected individuals, 7 th April 2020), whereas cities having less than 100 days of air pollution, they have a lower average number of infected individuals (about 1014). The findings here also suggest that to minimize the impact of future epidemics similar to COVID-19, the max number of days per year in which Italian provincial capitals can exceed the limits set for PM10 or for ozone, considering their meteorological conditions, is about 48 days. Moreover, results here reveal that the explanatory variable of air pollution in cities under study seems to be a more important predictor in the initial phase of diffusion (on 17 th March 2020, b1 = 1.27, p<0.001) than interpersonal contacts (b2 = 0.31, p<0.05). In the second phase of maturity of the transmission dynamics of COVID-19, air pollution reduces intensity (on 7 th April, 2020 with b'1 = .81, p<0.001) also because of indirect effect of lockdown, whereas coefficient of transmission by interpersonal contacts has stability (b'2 = 0.31, p<0.01). This result reveals that accelerated transmissions dynamics of COVID-19 is due to mainly to the mechanism of "air pollution-to-human transmission" rather than "human-to-human transmission". Overall, then, transmission dynamics of viral infectivity, such as COVID-19, is due to systemic causes: general factors that are the same for all regions (e.g., biological characteristics of virus, incubation period, etc.) and specific factors which are different for each region (e.g., complex interaction between air pollution, meteorological conditions and biological characteristics of viral infectivity) and health level of individuals (habits, immune system, age, sex, etc.). Lessons learned for COVID-19 in the case study o...

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“…Hence, high concentration of nitrogen dioxide, a noxious gas, particulate air pollutants emitted by motor vehicles, power plants, and industrial facilities in North Italy seems to be a platform to support diffusion of viral infectivity (Groulx et al, 2018), increase hospitalizations for respiratory virus bronchiolitis (cf., Carugno et al, 2018;Nenna et al, 2017), increase asthma incidence (Liao et al, 2011) and damage to the immune system of people (Glencross et Two mechanisms for accelerated diffusion of COVID-19 outbreaks in regions with high intensity of population and polluting industrialization: the air pollution-to-human and human-to-human transmission dynamics al., 2020). Transmission dynamics of COVID-19 has found in air pollution and meteorological conditions of North Italy an appropriate environment and population to carry out an accelerated diffusion that is generation more than 13,000 deaths and a huge number of hospitalizations in a short period of time.…”

Section: Figure 4 -Reduction Nitrogen Dioxide Before and After Lockdomentioning

confidence: 99%

Two mechanisms for accelerated diffusion of COVID-19 outbreaks in regions with high intensity of population and polluting industrialization: the air pollution-to-human and human-to-human transmission dynamics

Coccia

2020

Preprint

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What is COVID-19? Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is viral infection that generates a severe acute respiratory syndrome with serious pneumonia that may result in progressive respiratory failure and death. What are the goals of this investigation? This study explains the geo-environmental determinants of the accelerated diffusion of COVID-19 in Italy that is generating a high level of deaths and suggests general lessons learned for a strategy to cope with future epidemics similar to COVID-19 to reduce viral infectivity and negative impacts in economic systems and society. What are the results of this study? The main results are: o The accelerate and vast diffusion of COVID-19 in North Italy has a high association with air pollution. o Hinterland cities have average days of exceeding the limits set for PM10 (particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter) equal to 80 days, and an average number of infected more than 2,000 individuals as of April 1st, 2020, coastal cities have days of exceeding the limits set for PM10 equal to 60 days and have about 700 infected in average. o Cities that average number of 125 days exceeding the limits set for PM10, last year, they have an average number of infected individual higher than 3,200 units, whereas cities having less than 100 days (average number of 48 days) exceeding the limits set for PM10, they have an average number of about 900 infected individuals. o The results reveal that accelerated transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in specific environments is due to two mechanisms given by: air pollution-to-human transmission and human-to-human transmission; in particular, the mechanisms of air pollution-to-human transmission play a critical role rather than human-to-human transmission. o The finding here suggests that to minimize future epidemic similar to COVID-19, the max number of days per year in which cities can exceed the limits set for PM10 or for ozone, considering their meteorological condition, is less than 50 days. After this critical threshold, the analytical output here suggests that environmental inconsistencies because of the combination between air pollution and meteorological conditions (with high moisture%, low wind speed and fog) trigger a take-off of viral infectivity (accelerated epidemic diffusion) with damages for health of population, economy and society. What is a socioeconomic strategy to prevent future epidemics similar to COVID-19? Considering the complex interaction between air pollution, meteorological conditions and biological characteristics of viral infectivity, lessons learned for COVID-19 have to be applied for a proactive socioeconomic strategy to cope with future epidemics, especially an environmental policy based on reduction of air pollution mainly in hinterland zones of countries, having low wind speed, high percentage of moisture and fog that create an environment that can damage immune system of people and foster a fast transmission of viral infectivity similar to the COVID-19. This study must conclude that a strategy to prevent future epidemics similar to COVID 19 has also to be designed in environmental and sustainability science and not only in terms of biology.

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PM10 exposure is associated with increased hospitalizations for respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis among infants in Lombardy, Italy

Cited by 80 publications

References 25 publications

SARS-CoV-2 spread in Northern Italy: what about the pollution role?

SARS-CoV-2 spread in Northern Italy: what about the pollution role?

Factors determining the diffusion of COVID-19 and suggested strategy to prevent future accelerated viral infectivity similar to COVID

Two mechanisms for accelerated diffusion of COVID-19 outbreaks in regions with high intensity of population and polluting industrialization: the air pollution-to-human and human-to-human transmission dynamics

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