Severity of COVID-19 at elevated exposure to perfluorinated alkylates

Abstract

Background The course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seems to be aggravated by air pollution, and some industrial chemicals, such as the perfluorinated alkylate substances (PFASs), are immunotoxic and may contribute to an association with disease severity. Methods From Danish biobanks, we obtained plasma samples from 323 subjects aged 30–70 years with known SARS-CoV-2 infection. The PFAS concentrations measured at the background exposures included five PFASs known to be immunotoxic. Register data was obtained to classify disease status, other health information, and demographic variables. We used ordered logistic regression analyses to determine associations between PFAS concentrations and disease outcome. Results Plasma-PFAS concentrations were higher in males, in subjects with Western European background, and tended to increase with age, but were not associated with the presence of chronic disease. Of the study population, 108 (33%) had not been hospitalized, and of those hospitalized, 53 (16%) had been in intensive care or were deceased. Among the five PFASs considered, perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) showed an unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.19 (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.39–3.46) for increasing severities of the disease. Among those hospitalized, the fully adjusted OR for getting into intensive care or expiring was 5.18 (1.29, 20.72) when based on plasma samples obtained at the time of diagnosis or up to one week before. Conclusions Measures of individual exposures to immunotoxic PFASs included short-chain PFBA known to accumulate in the lungs. Elevated plasma-PFBA concentrations were associated with an increased risk of a more severe course of COVID-19. Given the low background exposure levels in this study, the role of exposure to PFASs in COVID-19 needs to be ascertained in populations with elevated exposures.

The True Cost of PFAS and the Benefits of Acting Now

“…1 , 9 PFAS exposure is also linked to immunotoxic effects, including decreased response to vaccines and possible increases in COVID-19 severity. 10 Even low-level exposure is associated with serious health consequences. For example, multiple studies have linked prenatal PFAS exposure with low birth weight, a particularly concerning end point that is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes in adulthood, as well as impaired cognitive development and lower lifetime earnings.…”

Common contributing factors to COVID-19 and inflammatory bowel disease

“…COV:“Measures of individual exposures to immunotoxic PFASs included short-chain PFBA known to accumulate in the lungs. Elevated plasma-PFBA concentrations were associated with an increased risk of a more severe course of COVID-19.” [ 170 ]…”

Chemical Exposures Affect Innate Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2

“…Increased severity of COVID-19 was also reported owing to the use of sanitizers and disinfecting chemicals [9][10][11][12]. Plasma levels of perfluorinated compounds were also associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 [13]. It has also been hypothesized that neuroinflammation induced by environmental chemicals may increase neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients [14].…”