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Almutairi MM, Javed NB, Sardar SA, Abdelwahed AY, Fakieh R, Al-Mohaithef M. Impact of short-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and meteorological factors on COVID-19 incidence and mortality: A retrospective study from Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Heliyon 2024; 10:e37248. [PMID: 39296103 PMCID: PMC11407988 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The symptoms of COVID-19 included fever with or without respiratory syndrome, but patients subsequently developed pulmonary abnormalities. Exposure to air pollution, meanwhile, is associated with complications such as acute respiratory inflammations, asthma attack, and deaths from cardiorespiratory disease. To analyze the association of the air quality index (AQI), ambient air pollutants (PM10, SO2 and O3) and meteorological parameters (temperature and relative humidity [RH]) with COVID-19 incidence and mortality, a retrospective study was conducted to examine COVID-19 infection, meteorological parameters, ambient air quality and ambient air pollutants in Dammam from 1 January to 30 April 2021. Data of COVID-19 incidence and mortality for Dammam were retrieved from Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health's publicly accessible database. Meteorological data, AQI and average PM10, SO2 and O3 values were extracted from the publicly available website of Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. The correlation of COVID-19 incidence and mortality with the independent variables was analysed by Pearson's correlation test or Spearman's rho test as applicable, and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. COVID-19 incidence exhibited a positive correlation with temperature (r = 0.537, p = .0001) and a negative correlation with RH (r=-0.487, p=.0001). No correlation was observed between the meteorological variables and COVID-19 mortality. COVID-19 incidence showed a positive correlation with AQI (r=0.269, p=.015) and with the ambient air pollutants SO2 and O3 (r=0.258, p=.018), and COVID-19 mortality showed a positive correlation with PM10 (r s = 0.344, p=.002). Short-term exposure to O3, SO2 and higher temperature had direct relationship with COVID-19 incidence, while RH had inverse relationship. PM10 is positively associated with COVID-19 mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manal Mutieb Almutairi
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
- Occupational Environmental Health, Public Health School, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
| | - Nargis Begum Javed
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Soni Ali Sardar
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amal Yousef Abdelwahed
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
- Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing Damanhour University, Damanhour city, Egypt
| | - Razan Fakieh
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Al-Mohaithef
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Limaheluw J, Dollmann S, Folpmers S, Beltrán Beut L, Lazarakou A, Vermeulen LC, de Roda Husman AM. Associations between meteorological factors and COVID-19: a global scoping review. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1183706. [PMID: 39091528 PMCID: PMC11291467 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1183706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Many respiratory viruses and their associated diseases are sensitive to meteorological factors. For SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, evidence on this sensitivity is inconsistent. Understanding the influence of meteorological factors on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and COVID-19 epidemiology can help to improve pandemic preparedness. Objectives This review aimed to examine the recent evidence about the relation between meteorological factors and SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19. Methods We conducted a global scoping review of peer-reviewed studies published from January 2020 up to January 2023 about the associations between temperature, solar radiation, precipitation, humidity, wind speed, and atmospheric pressure and SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19. Results From 9,156 initial records, we included 474 relevant studies. Experimental studies on SARS-CoV-2 provided consistent evidence that higher temperatures and solar radiation negatively affect virus viability. Studies on COVID-19 (epidemiology) were mostly observational and provided less consistent evidence. Several studies considered interactions between meteorological factors or other variables such as demographics or air pollution. None of the publications included all determinants holistically. Discussion The association between short-term meteorological factors and SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 dynamics is complex. Interactions between environmental and social components need further consideration. A more integrated research approach can provide valuable insights to predict the dynamics of respiratory viruses with pandemic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Limaheluw
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sophia Dollmann
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sofia Folpmers
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lola Beltrán Beut
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Afroditi Lazarakou
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Lucie C. Vermeulen
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Ana Maria de Roda Husman
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Banerjee B, Kundu S, Kanchan R, Mohanta A. Examining the relationship between atmospheric pollutants and meteorological factors in Asansol city, West Bengal, India, using statistical modelling. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-33608-z. [PMID: 38761262 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33608-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Meteorological conditions significantly impact ambient air quality in urban environments. This study focuses on Asansol, known as the "Coal City" and the "Industrial Heart of West Bengal," a notable hotspot for air pollution. Despite its significance, limited research has addressed the influence of meteorological factors on key air pollutants in this urban area. From January 2019 to December 2023, this investigation explores the relationships between meteorological parameters (including atmospheric temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, wind speed) and the concentrations of crucial air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2). Temporal trends in air pollutant concentrations are also analysed. The Spearman correlation method is used to establish associations between pollutant concentrations and meteorological variables, while multiple linear regression (MLR) models are employed to assess meteorological factors and potential impact on pollutant concentrations. The analysis reveals a decreasing trend in pollutant concentrations in Asansol. Temperature exhibits negative correlations with all pollutants in all seasons except for a positive correlation during the monsoon. Rainfall consistently displays significant negative correlations with pollutants in all seasons. Relative humidity is negatively correlated with pollutants in all seasons, and wind speed, except during the post-monsoon season, shows negative correlations with all pollutants. Linear models excel in predicting particulate matter concentrations but perform poorly in predicting gaseous contaminants. Accounting for seasonal fluctuations and meteorological parameters, this research enhances the accuracy of air pollution forecasting, contributing to a better understanding of air quality dynamics in Asansol and similar urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biplab Banerjee
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, The MS University Baroda, Vadodara, India, 390002.
| | - Sudipta Kundu
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, CSJM University of Kanpur, Kanpur, India
| | - Rolee Kanchan
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, The MS University Baroda, Vadodara, India, 390002
| | - Agradeep Mohanta
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, The MS University Baroda, Vadodara, 390002, India
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Rybarczyk Y, Zalakeviciute R, Ortiz-Prado E. Causal effect of air pollution and meteorology on the COVID-19 pandemic: A convergent cross mapping approach. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25134. [PMID: 38322928 PMCID: PMC10844283 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors have been suspected to influence the propagation and lethality of COVID-19 in the global population. However, most of the studies have been limited to correlation analyses and did not use specific methods to address the dynamic of the causal relationship between the virus and its external drivers. This work focuses on inferring and understanding the causal effect of critical air pollutants and meteorological parameters on COVID-19 by using an Empirical Dynamic Modeling approach called Convergent Cross Mapping. This technique allowed us to identify the time-delayed causation and the sign of interactions. Considering its remarkable urban environment and mortality rate during the pandemic, Quito, Ecuador, was chosen as a case study. Our results show that both urban air pollution and meteorology have a causal impact on COVID-19. Even if the strength and the sign of the causality vary over time, a general trend can be drawn. NO2, SO2, CO and PM2.5 have a positive causation for COVID-19 infections (ρ > 0.35 and ∂ > 9.1). Contrary to current knowledge, this study shows a rapid effect of pollution on COVID-19 cases (1 < lag days <24) and a negative impact of O3 on COVID-19-related deaths (ρ = 0.53 and ∂ = -0.3). Regarding the meteorology, temperature (ρ = 0.24 and ∂ = -0.4) and wind speed (ρ = 0.34 and ∂ = -3.9) tend to mitigate the epidemiological consequences of SARS-CoV-2, whereas relative humidity seems to increase the excess deaths (ρ = 0.4 and ∂ = 0.05). A causal network is proposed to synthesize the interactions between the studied variables and to provide a simple model to support the management of coronavirus outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Rybarczyk
- School of Information and Engineering, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden
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Miah MM, Faruk MO, Pingki FH, Al Neyma M. The effects of meteorological factors on the COVID-19 omicron variant in Bangladesh. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2024; 34:514-525. [PMID: 36469810 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2022.2154326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 omicron variant is exceptionally complicated and uncertain due to its rapid transmission and volume of infections. This study examines the impact of climatic factors on daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 omicron variant in Bangladesh. The secondary data of daily confirmed cases from 1 January 2022, to 31 March 2022, of eight distinct geographic divisions have been used for the current study. The multivariate generalized linear negative binomial regression model was applied to determine the effects of climatic factors on omicron transmission. The model revealed that the maximum temperature (Odds: 0.67, p < 0.05), sky clearness (Odds: 0.05, p < 0.05), wind speed (Odds: 0.76, p < 0.05), relative humidity (Odds: 1.02, p < 0.05), and air pressure (Odds: 0.27, p < 0.05) significantly impacted COVID-19 omicron transmission in Bangladesh. The study's findings can assist the concerned authorities and decision-makers take necessary measures to control the spread of omicron cases in Bangladesh.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Mamun Miah
- Department of Statistics, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Omar Faruk
- Department of Statistics, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Farjana Haque Pingki
- Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
| | - Mahmuda Al Neyma
- Department of Statistics, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali, Bangladesh
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Chen S, Huang L, Cai D, Li B, Yang J. Association between meteorological factors and COVID-19: a systematic review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2023; 33:1254-1268. [PMID: 35674116 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2022.2083090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of coronavirus disease in 2019 has become a serious threat to human health. Whether meteorological conditions could influence the transmission and virulence of COVID-19 remains controversial. In this study, we systematically reviewed the impact of temperature and humidity on the replication, morbidity, and mortality of COVID-19. We also discussed the main factors underlying the inconsistency across studies. Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus were used to identify papers published up to 7 December 2020. We initially identified 3515 papers, and 28 articles met the inclusion criteria after screening. Most studies showed high temperature and high humidity can partly reduce the reproduction, morbidity, and mortality of COVID-19. But the rest papers failed to identify a significant association. The discrepant results may be related to the difference in the climate context, study design, exposure assessment, policy intervention, socioeconomic status, and public health service.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujuan Chen
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Huang
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dongjie Cai
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bixia Li
- College of Computer, Guangdong University of Science & Technology, Dongguan, China
| | - Jun Yang
- School of Public Health, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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7
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Hayet-Otero M, García-García F, Lee DJ, Martínez-Minaya J, España Yandiola PP, Urrutia Landa I, Nieves Ermecheo M, Quintana JM, Menéndez R, Torres A, Zalacain Jorge R, Arostegui I. Extracting relevant predictive variables for COVID-19 severity prognosis: An exhaustive comparison of feature selection techniques. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0284150. [PMID: 37053151 PMCID: PMC10101453 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
With the COVID-19 pandemic having caused unprecedented numbers of infections and deaths, large research efforts have been undertaken to increase our understanding of the disease and the factors which determine diverse clinical evolutions. Here we focused on a fully data-driven exploration regarding which factors (clinical or otherwise) were most informative for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia severity prediction via machine learning (ML). In particular, feature selection techniques (FS), designed to reduce the dimensionality of data, allowed us to characterize which of our variables were the most useful for ML prognosis. We conducted a multi-centre clinical study, enrolling n = 1548 patients hospitalized due to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia: where 792, 238, and 598 patients experienced low, medium and high-severity evolutions, respectively. Up to 106 patient-specific clinical variables were collected at admission, although 14 of them had to be discarded for containing ⩾60% missing values. Alongside 7 socioeconomic attributes and 32 exposures to air pollution (chronic and acute), these became d = 148 features after variable encoding. We addressed this ordinal classification problem both as a ML classification and regression task. Two imputation techniques for missing data were explored, along with a total of 166 unique FS algorithm configurations: 46 filters, 100 wrappers and 20 embeddeds. Of these, 21 setups achieved satisfactory bootstrap stability (⩾0.70) with reasonable computation times: 16 filters, 2 wrappers, and 3 embeddeds. The subsets of features selected by each technique showed modest Jaccard similarities across them. However, they consistently pointed out the importance of certain explanatory variables. Namely: patient's C-reactive protein (CRP), pneumonia severity index (PSI), respiratory rate (RR) and oxygen levels -saturation Sp O2, quotients Sp O2/RR and arterial Sat O2/Fi O2-, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) -to certain extent, also neutrophil and lymphocyte counts separately-, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and procalcitonin (PCT) levels in blood. A remarkable agreement has been found a posteriori between our strategy and independent clinical research works investigating risk factors for COVID-19 severity. Hence, these findings stress the suitability of this type of fully data-driven approaches for knowledge extraction, as a complementary to clinical perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miren Hayet-Otero
- Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM), Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain
- Department of Electronic Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Basque Country, Spain
- Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), TECNALIA, Derio, Basque Country, Spain
| | | | - Dae-Jin Lee
- Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM), Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain
- School of Science and Technology, IE University, Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joaquín Martínez-Minaya
- Department of Applied Statistics and Operational Research, and Quality, Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain
| | | | | | - Mónica Nieves Ermecheo
- BioCruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Basque Country, Spain
- Research Unit, Galdakao-Usansolo University Hospital, Galdakao, Basque Country, Spain
| | - José María Quintana
- Research Unit, Galdakao-Usansolo University Hospital, Galdakao, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Rosario Menéndez
- Pneumology Department, La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain
| | - Antoni Torres
- Pneumology Department, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Inmaculada Arostegui
- Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM), Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain
- Department of Mathematics, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Basque Country, Spain
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Monoson A, Schott E, Ard K, Kilburg-Basnyat B, Tighe RM, Pannu S, Gowdy KM. Air pollution and respiratory infections: the past, present, and future. Toxicol Sci 2023; 192:3-14. [PMID: 36622042 PMCID: PMC10025881 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Air pollution levels across the globe continue to rise despite government regulations. The increase in global air pollution levels drives detrimental human health effects, including 7 million premature deaths every year. Many of these deaths are attributable to increased incidence of respiratory infections. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented public health crisis that has claimed the lives of over 6.5 million people globally, respiratory infections as a driver of human mortality is a pressing concern. Therefore, it is more important than ever to understand the relationship between air pollution and respiratory infections so that public health measures can be implemented to ameliorate further morbidity and mortality. This article aims to review the current epidemiologic and basic science research on interactions between air pollution exposure and respiratory infections. The first section will present epidemiologic studies organized by pathogen, followed by a review of basic science research investigating the mechanisms of infection, and then conclude with a discussion of areas that require future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexys Monoson
- Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Evangeline Schott
- Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Kerry Ard
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Brita Kilburg-Basnyat
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27834, USA
| | - Robert M Tighe
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Sonal Pannu
- Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Kymberly M Gowdy
- Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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Investigating the association between air pollutants' concentration and meteorological parameters in a rapidly growing urban center of West Bengal, India: a statistical modeling-based approach. MODELING EARTH SYSTEMS AND ENVIRONMENT 2023; 9:2877-2892. [PMID: 36624780 PMCID: PMC9812750 DOI: 10.1007/s40808-022-01670-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The ambient air quality in a city is heavily influenced by meteorological conditions. The city of Siliguri, known as the "Gateway of Northeast India", is a major hotspot of air pollution in the Indian state of West Bengal. Yet almost no research has been done on the possible impacts of meteorological factors on criterion air pollutants in this rapidly growing urban area. From March 2018 to September 2022, the present study aimed to determine the correlations between meteorological factors, including daily mean temperature (℃), relative humidity (%), rainfall (mm), wind speed (m/s) with the concentration of criterion air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, and NH3). For this research, the trend of all air pollutants over time was also investigated. The Spearman correlation approach was used to correlate the concentration of air pollutants with the effect of meteorological variables on these pollutants. Comparing the multiple linear regression (MLR) and non-linear regression (MLNR) models permitted to examine the potential influence of meteorological factors on concentrations of air pollutants. According to the trend analysis, the concentration of NH3 in the air of Siliguri is rising, while the concentration of other pollutants is declining. Most pollutants showed a negative correlation with meteorological variables; however, the seasons impacted on how they responded. The comparative regression research results showed that although the linear and non-linear models performed well in predicting particulate matter concentrations, they performed poorly in predicting gaseous contaminants. When considering seasonal fluctuations and meteorological parameters, the results of this research will definitely help to increase the accuracy of air pollution forecasting near future.
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Moazeni M, Rahimi M, Ebrahimi A. What are the Effects of Climate Variables on COVID-19 Pandemic? A Systematic Review and Current Update. Adv Biomed Res 2023; 12:33. [PMID: 37057247 PMCID: PMC10086649 DOI: 10.4103/abr.abr_145_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The climatological parameters can be different in various geographical locations. Moreover, they have possible impacts on COVID-19 incidence. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review article was to describe the effects of climatic variables on COVID-19 pandemic in different countries. Systematic literature search was performed in Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and PubMed databases using ("Climate" OR "Climate Change" OR "Global Warming" OR "Global Climate Change" OR "Meteorological Parameters" OR "Temperature" OR "Precipitation" OR "Relative Humidity" OR "Wind Speed" OR "Sunshine" OR "Climate Extremes" OR "Weather Extremes") AND ("COVID" OR "Coronavirus disease 2019" OR "COVID-19" OR "SARS-CoV-2" OR "Novel Coronavirus") keywords. From 5229 articles, 424 were screened and 149 were selected for further analysis. The relationship between meteorological parameters is variable in different geographical locations. The results indicate that among the climatic indicators, the temperature is the most significant factor that influences on COVID-19 pandemic in most countries. Some studies were proved that warm and wet climates can decrease COVID-19 incidence; however, the other studies represented that warm location can be a high risk of COVID-19 incidence. It could be suggested that all climate variables such as temperature, humidity, rainfall, precipitation, solar radiation, ultraviolet index, and wind speed could cause spread of COVID-19. Thus, it is recommended that future studies will survey the role of all meteorological variables and interaction between them on COVID-19 spread in specific small areas such as cities of each country and comparison between them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malihe Moazeni
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Student Research Committee, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Rahimi
- Department of Combat Desertification, Faculty of Desert Studies, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
| | - Afshin Ebrahimi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Environment Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Address for correspondence: Dr. Afshin Ebrahimi, Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Hezar-Jerib Ave., Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, 81676 − 36954, Iran. E-mail:
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Liu X, Kortoçi P, Motlagh NH, Nurmi P, Tarkoma S. A survey of COVID-19 in public transportation: Transmission risk, mitigation and prevention. MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION 2022. [PMCID: PMC9174338 DOI: 10.1016/j.multra.2022.100030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is posing significant challenges to public transport operators by drastically reducing demand while also requiring them to implement measures that minimize risks to the health of the passengers. While the collective scientific understanding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 pandemic are rapidly increasing, currently there is a lack of understanding of how the COVID-19 relates to public transport operations. This article presents a comprehensive survey of the current research on COVID-19 transmission mechanisms and how they relate to public transport. We critically assess literature through a lens of disaster management and survey the main transmission mechanisms, forecasting, risks, mitigation, and prevention mechanisms. Social distancing and control on passenger density are found to be the most effective mechanisms. Computing and digital technology can support risk control. Based on our survey, we draw guidelines for public transport operators and highlight open research challenges to establish a research roadmap for the path forward.
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Orak NH. Effect of ambient air pollution and meteorological factors on the potential transmission of COVID-19 in Turkey. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113646. [PMID: 35688216 PMCID: PMC9172252 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
There is a need to improve the understanding of air quality parameters and meteorological conditions on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in different regions of the world. In this preliminary study, we explore the relationship between short-term air quality (nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), and particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10)) exposure, temperature, humidity, and wind speed on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in 41 cities of Turkey with reported weekly cases from February 8 to April 2, 2021. Both linear and non-linear relationships were explored. The nonlinear association between weekly confirmed cases and short-term exposure to predictor factors was investigated using a generalized additive model (GAM). The preliminary results indicate that there was a significant association between humidity and weekly confirmed COVID-19 cases. The cooler temperatures had a positive correlation with the occurrence of new confirmed cases. The low PM2.5 concentrations had a negative correlation with the number of new cases, while reducing SO2 concentrations may help decrease the number of new cases. This is the first study investigating the relationship between measured air pollutants, meteorological factors, and the number of weekly confirmed COVID-19 cases across Turkey. There are several limitations of the presented study, however, the preliminary results show that there is a need to understand the impacts of regional air quality parameters and meteorological factors on the transmission of the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur H Orak
- Marmara University, Department of Environmental Engineering, Istanbul, Turkey.
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13
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Assessing the impact of long-term exposure to nine outdoor air pollutants on COVID-19 spatial spread and related mortality in 107 Italian provinces. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13317. [PMID: 35922645 PMCID: PMC9349267 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17215-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper investigates the air quality in 107 Italian provinces in the period 2014-2019 and the association between exposure to nine outdoor air pollutants and the COVID-19 spread and related mortality in the same areas. The methods used were negative binomial (NB) regression, ordinary least squares (OLS) model, and spatial autoregressive (SAR) model. The results showed that (i) common air pollutants-nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10)-were highly and positively correlated with large firms, energy and gas consumption, public transports, and livestock sector; (ii) long-term exposure to NO2, PM2.5, PM10, benzene, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), and cadmium (Cd) was positively and significantly correlated with the spread of COVID-19; and (iii) long-term exposure to NO2, O3, PM2.5, PM10, and arsenic (As) was positively and significantly correlated with COVID-19 related mortality. Specifically, particulate matter and Cd showed the most adverse effect on COVID-19 prevalence; while particulate matter and As showed the largest dangerous impact on excess mortality rate. The results were confirmed even after controlling for eighteen covariates and spatial effects. This outcome seems of interest because benzene, BaP, and heavy metals (As and Cd) have not been considered at all in recent literature. It also suggests the need for a national strategy to drive down air pollutant concentrations to cope better with potential future pandemics.
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14
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Sun W, Hu X, Hu Y, Zhang G, Guo Z, Lin J, Huang J, Cai X, Dai J, Wang X, Zhang X, Bi X, Zhong N. 大气环境对SARS-CoV-2传播的影响研究进展. CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN-CHINESE 2022. [DOI: 10.1360/tb-2021-1228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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15
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Shamsi S, Zaman K, Usman B, Nassani AA, Haffar M, Abro MMQ. Do environmental pollutants carrier to COVID-19 pandemic? A cross-sectional analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:17530-17543. [PMID: 34668140 PMCID: PMC8526356 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17004-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a highly transmitted disease that spreads all over the globe in a short period. Environmental pollutants are considered one of the carriers to spread the COVID-19 pandemic through health damages. Carbon emissions, PM2.5 emissions, nitrous oxide emissions, GHG, and other GHG emissions are mainly judged separately in the earlier studies in different economic settings. The study hypothesizes that environmental pollutants adversely affect healthcare outcomes, likely to infected people by contagious diseases, including coronavirus cases. The subject matter is vital to analyze the preventive healthcare theory by using different environmental pollutants on the COVID-19 factors: total infected cases, total death cases, and case fatality ratio, in a large cross-section of 119 countries. The study employed the generalized least square (GLS) method for robust inferences. The results show that GHG and CO2 emissions are critical factors likely to increase total coronavirus cases and death rates. On the other hand, nitrous oxide, carbon, and transport emissions increase the case fatality ratio through healthcare damages. The study concludes that stringent environmental policies and improving healthcare infrastructure can control coronavirus cases across countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salman Shamsi
- Department of Economics, University of Haripur, Haripur Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Khalid Zaman
- Department of Economics, University of Haripur, Haripur Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Bushra Usman
- School of Management, Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Abdelmohsen A. Nassani
- Department of Management, College of Business Administration, King Saud University, P.O. Box 71115, Riyadh, 11587 Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohamed Haffar
- Department of Management, Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Muhammad Moinuddin Qazi Abro
- Department of Management, College of Business Administration, King Saud University, P.O. Box 71115, Riyadh, 11587 Saudi Arabia
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16
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Han Y, Zhao W, Pereira P. Global COVID-19 pandemic trends and their relationship with meteorological variables, air pollutants and socioeconomic aspects. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112249. [PMID: 34740619 PMCID: PMC8563087 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Meteorological variables, air pollutants, and socioeconomic factors are associated with COVID-19 transmission. However, it is unclear what impact their interactions have on COVID-19 transmission, whether their impact on COVID-19 transmission is linear or non-linear, and where the inflexion points are. This study examined 1) the spatial and temporal trends in COVID-19 monthly infection rate of new confirmed cases per 100,000 people (Rn) in 188 countries/regions worldwide from March to November 2020; 2) the linear correlation between meteorological variables (temperature (T), rainfall (R), wind speed (WS), relative humidity (RH), air pressure (AP)), air pollutants (nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3)) and socioeconomic aspects (population density (PD), gross domestic product per capita (GDP), domestic general government health expenditure per capita (GHE)) and Rn, and 3) the interaction and non-linear effects of the different variables on Rn, based on GeoDetector and Boosted regression tree. The results showed that the global Rn had was spatially clustered, and the average Rn increased From March to November 2020. Global Rn was negatively correlated with meteorological variables (T, R, WS, AP) and positively correlated with air pollutants (NO2, SO2, O3) and socioeconomic aspects (GDP, GHE). The interaction of SO2 and O3, SO2 and RH, and O3 and T strongly affected Rn. The variables effect on COVID-19 transmission was non-linear, with one or more inflexion points. The findings of this work can provide a basis for developing a global response to COVID-19 for global sustainable development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Han
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Wenwu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Institute of Land Surface System and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Paulo Pereira
- Environmental Management Center, Mykolas Romeris University, Ateities g. 20, LT-08303, Vilnius, Lithuania.
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17
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Cifuentes-Faura J. Is Environmental Pollution Associated with an Increased Number of COVID-19 Cases in Europe? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:703. [PMID: 35055525 PMCID: PMC8775343 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19020703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has caused an unprecedented crisis, resulting in a global pandemic with millions infected and dying. Given the importance given to sustainability and the reduction in pollutant gases in recent years, the main objective of this study was to determine whether pollutant emissions are associated with an increased number of COVID-19 cases in Europe. Other demographic variables that may have an impact on the number of coronavirus cases, such as population density, average age or the level of restrictive policies implemented by governments, are also included. It has been shown that the emission of carbon monoxide pollutant gases and pollutant emissions from transport positively affect the incidence of COVID-19, so that the sustainable policy implemented in recent years in Europe should be reinforced, and tougher sanctions and measures should be imposed when pollution thresholds are exceeded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Cifuentes-Faura
- Department of Financial Economics and Accounting, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
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18
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Olak AS, Santos WS, Susuki AM, Pott-Junior H, V Skalny A, Tinkov AA, Aschner M, Pinese JPP, Urbano MR, Paoliello MMB. Meteorological parameters and cases of COVID-19 in Brazilian cities: an observational study. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2022; 85:14-28. [PMID: 34474657 DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2021.1969304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Meteorological parameters modulate transmission of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, the causative agent related to coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) development. However, findings across the globe have been inconsistent attributed to several confounding factors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between reported meteorological parameters from July 1 to October 31, 2020, and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in 4 Brazilian cities: São Paulo, the largest city with the highest number of cases in Brazil, and the cities with greater number of cases in the state of Parana during the study period (Curitiba, Londrina and Maringa). The assessment of meteorological factors with confirmed COVID-19 cases included atmospheric pressure, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, solar irradiation, sunlight, dew point temperature, and total precipitation. The 7- and 15-day moving averages of confirmed COVID-19 cases were obtained for each city. Pearson's correlation coefficients showed significant correlations between COVID-19 cases and all meteorological parameters, except for total precipitation, with the strongest correlation with maximum wind speed (0.717, <0.001) in São Paulo. Regression tree analysis demonstrated that the largest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases was associated with wind speed (between ≥0.3381 and <1.173 m/s), atmospheric pressure (<930.5mb), and solar radiation (<17.98e+3). Lower number of cases was observed for wind speed <0.3381 m/s and temperature <23.86°C. Our results encourage the use of meteorological information as a critical component in future risk assessment models.
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Affiliation(s)
- André S Olak
- Department of Architecture and Urbanism; State University of Londrina (Uel), Londrina, PR, Brazil
- Department of Statistics, State University of Londrina (Uel), Londrina, Pr, Brazil
| | - Willian S Santos
- Department of Geoscience, State University of Londrina (Uel), Londrina, PR, Brazil
| | - Aline M Susuki
- Department of Architecture and Urbanism; State University of Londrina (Uel), Londrina, PR, Brazil
| | - Henrique Pott-Junior
- Department of Medicine, Federal University of São Carlos (Ufscar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Anatoly V Skalny
- Department of Bioelementology, K.g. Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technologies and Management, Moscow, Russia
- World-Class Research Center "Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare," Im Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey A Tinkov
- World-Class Research Center "Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare," Im Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
- IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Michael Aschner
- World-Class Research Center "Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare," Im Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - José P P Pinese
- Department of Geoscience, State University of Londrina (Uel), Londrina, PR, Brazil
- Centre of Studies in Geography and Spatial Planning, CEGOT, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Mariana R Urbano
- Department of Statistics, State University of Londrina (Uel), Londrina, Pr, Brazil
| | - Monica M B Paoliello
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
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19
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Marquès M, Domingo JL. Positive association between outdoor air pollution and the incidence and severity of COVID-19. A review of the recent scientific evidences. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 203:111930. [PMID: 34425111 PMCID: PMC8378989 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
In June 2020, we published a review focused on assessing the influence of various air pollutants on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, and the severity of COVID-19 in patients infected by the coronavirus. The results of most of those reviewed studies suggested that chronic exposure to certain air pollutants might lead to more severe and lethal forms of COVID-19, as well as delays/complications in the recovery of the patients. Since then, a notable number of studies on this topic have been published, including also various reviews. Given the importance of this issue, we have updated the information published since our previous review. Taking together the previous results and those of most investigations now reviewed, we have concluded that there is a significant association between chronic exposure to various outdoor air pollutants: PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, SO2 and CO, and the incidence/risk of COVID-19 cases, as well as the severity/mortality of the disease. Unfortunately, studies on the potential influence of other important air pollutants such as VOCs, dioxins and furans, or metals, are not available in the scientific literature. In relation to the influence of outdoor air pollutants on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, although the scientific evidence is much more limited, some studies point to PM2.5 and PM10 as potential airborne transmitters of the virus. Anyhow, it is clear that environmental air pollution plays an important negative role in COVID-19, increasing its incidence and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montse Marquès
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, School of Medicine, Sant Llorens 21, 43201, Reus, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - José L Domingo
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, School of Medicine, Sant Llorens 21, 43201, Reus, Catalonia, Spain
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20
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Aggarwal S, Balaji S, Singh T, Menon GR, Mandal S, Madhumathi J, Mahajan N, Kohli S, Kaur J, Singh H, Rade K, Panda S. Association between ambient air pollutants and meteorological factors with SARS-CoV-2 transmission and mortality in India: an exploratory study. Environ Health 2021; 20:120. [PMID: 34794454 PMCID: PMC8601781 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-021-00804-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a serious public health concern worldwide. Certain regions of the globe were severely affected in terms of prevalence and mortality than other. Although the cause for this pattern is not clearly understood, lessons learned from previous epidemics and emerging evidences suggest the major role of ecological factors like ambient air pollutants (AAP) and meteorological parameters in increased COVID-19 incidence. The present study aimed to understand the impact of these factors on SARS-CoV-2 transmission and their associated mortality in major cities of India. METHODS This study used secondary AAP, meteorological and COVID-19 data from official websites for the period January-November 2020, which were divided into Pre-lockdown (January-March 2020), Phase I (April to June 2020) and Phase II (July to November 2020) in India. After comprehensive screening, five major cities that includes 48 CPCB monitoring stations collecting daily data of ambient temperature, particulate matter PM2.5 and 10 were analysed. Spearman and Kendall's rank correlation test was performed to understand the association between SARS-CoV-2 transmission and AAP and, meteorological variables. Similarly, case fatality rate (CFR) was determined to compute the correlation between AAP and COVID-19 related morality. RESULTS The level of air pollutants in major cities were significantly reduced during Phase I compared to Pre-lock down and increased upon Phase II in all the cities. During the Phase II in Delhi, the strong significant positive correlation was observed between the AAP and SARS-CoV-2 transmission. However, in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai AAP levels were moderate and no correlation was noticed. The relation between AT and SARS-CoV-2 transmission was inconclusive as both positive and negative correlation observed. In addition, Delhi and Kolkata showed a positive association between long-term exposure to the AAP and COVID-19 CFR. CONCLUSION Our findings support the hypothesis that the particulate matter upon exceeding the satisfactory level serves as an important cofactor in increasing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and related mortality. These findings would help public health experts to understand the SARS-CoV-2 transmission against ecological variables in India and provides supporting evidence to healthcare policymakers and government agencies for formulating strategies to combat the COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Aggarwal
- Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research-Headquarters, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Sivaraman Balaji
- Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research-Headquarters, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Tanvi Singh
- Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research-Headquarters, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Geetha R Menon
- Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Medical Statistics, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Sandip Mandal
- Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research-Headquarters, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Jayaprakasam Madhumathi
- Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research-Headquarters, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Nupur Mahajan
- Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research-Headquarters, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Simran Kohli
- Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research-Headquarters, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Jasmine Kaur
- Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research-Headquarters, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Harpreet Singh
- Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research-Headquarters, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Kiran Rade
- World Health Organization, New Delhi, 110002, India
| | - Samiran Panda
- Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research-Headquarters, New Delhi, 110029, India.
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21
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Ali N, Fariha KA, Islam F, Mishu MA, Mohanto NC, Hosen MJ, Hossain K. Exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 severity: A review of current insights, management, and challenges. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2021; 17:1114-1122. [PMID: 33913626 PMCID: PMC8239695 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Several epidemiological studies have suggested a link between air pollution and respiratory tract infections. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a great threat to public health worldwide. However, some parts of the globe have been worse affected in terms of prevalence and deaths than others. The causes and conditions of such variations have yet to be explored. Although some studies indicated a possible correlation between air pollution and COVID-19 severity, there is yet insufficient data for a meaningful answer. This review summarizes the impact of air pollution on COVID-19 infections and severity and discusses the possible management strategies and challenges involved. The available literature investigating the correlation between air pollution and COVID-19 infections and mortality are included in the review. The studies reviewed here suggest that exposure to air pollution, particularly to PM2.5 and NO2 , is positively correlated with COVID-19 infections and mortality. Some data indicate that air pollution can play an important role in the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. A high percentage of COVID-19 incidences has been reported in the most polluted areas, where patients needed hospital admission. The available data also show that both short-term and long-term air pollution may enhance COVID-19 severity. However, most of the studies that showed a link between air pollution and COVID-19 infections and mortality did not consider potential confounders during the correlation analysis. Therefore, more specific studies need to be performed focusing on some additional confounders such as individual age, population density, and pre-existing comorbidities to determine the impact of air pollution on COVID-19 infections and deaths. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:1114-1122. © 2021 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurshad Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyShahjalal University of Science and TechnologySylhetBangladesh
| | - Khandaker A. Fariha
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyShahjalal University of Science and TechnologySylhetBangladesh
| | - Farjana Islam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyShahjalal University of Science and TechnologySylhetBangladesh
| | - Moshiul A. Mishu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyShahjalal University of Science and TechnologySylhetBangladesh
| | - Nayan C. Mohanto
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyShahjalal University of Science and TechnologySylhetBangladesh
| | - Mohammad J. Hosen
- Department of Genetic Engineering and BiotechnologyShahjalal University of Science and TechnologySylhetBangladesh
| | - Khaled Hossain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of RajshahiRajshahiBangladesh
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22
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Benita F, Gasca-Sanchez F. The main factors influencing COVID-19 spread and deaths in Mexico: A comparison between phases I and II. APPLIED GEOGRAPHY (SEVENOAKS, ENGLAND) 2021; 134:102523. [PMID: 34334843 PMCID: PMC8313543 DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2021.102523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This article investigates the geographical spread of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths across municipalities in Mexico. It focuses on the spread dynamics and containment of the virus between Phase I (from March 23 to May 31, 2020) and Phase II (from June 1 to August 22, 2020) of the social distancing measures. It also examines municipal-level factors associated with cumulative COVID-19 cases and deaths to understand the spatial determinants of the pandemic. The analysis of the geographic pattern of the pandemic via spatial scan statistics revealed a fast spread among municipalities. During Phase I, clusters of infections and deaths were mainly located at the country's center, whereas in Phase II, these clusters dispersed to the rest of the country. The regression results from the zero-inflated negative binomial regression analysis suggested that income inequality, the prevalence of obesity and diabetes, and concentration of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) are strongly positively associated with confirmed cases and deaths regardless of lockdown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Benita
- Engineering Systems and Design, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore
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23
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Djordjevic M, Salom I, Markovic S, Rodic A, Milicevic O, Djordjevic M. Inferring the Main Drivers of SARS-CoV-2 Global Transmissibility by Feature Selection Methods. GEOHEALTH 2021; 5:e2021GH000432. [PMID: 34568708 PMCID: PMC8448988 DOI: 10.1029/2021gh000432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the main environmental drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility in the population is crucial for understanding current and potential future outbursts of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. To address this problem, we concentrate on the basic reproduction number R 0, which is not sensitive to testing coverage and represents transmissibility in an absence of social distancing and in a completely susceptible population. While many variables may potentially influence R 0, a high correlation between these variables may obscure the result interpretation. Consequently, we combine Principal Component Analysis with feature selection methods from several regression-based approaches to identify the main demographic and meteorological drivers behind R 0. We robustly obtain that country's wealth/development (GDP per capita or Human Development Index) is the most important R 0 predictor at the global level, probably being a good proxy for the overall contact frequency in a population. This main effect is modulated by built-up area per capita (crowdedness in indoor space), onset of infection (likely related to increased awareness of infection risks), net migration, unhealthy living lifestyle/conditions including pollution, seasonality, and possibly BCG vaccination prevalence. Also, we argue that several variables that significantly correlate with transmissibility do not directly influence R 0 or affect it differently than suggested by naïve analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Djordjevic
- Faculty of BiologyQuantitative Biology GroupInstitute of Physiology and BiochemistryUniversity of BelgradeBelgradeSerbia
| | - Igor Salom
- Institute of Physics BelgradeNational Institute of the Republic of SerbiaUniversity of BelgradeBelgradeSerbia
| | - Sofija Markovic
- Faculty of BiologyQuantitative Biology GroupInstitute of Physiology and BiochemistryUniversity of BelgradeBelgradeSerbia
| | - Andjela Rodic
- Faculty of BiologyQuantitative Biology GroupInstitute of Physiology and BiochemistryUniversity of BelgradeBelgradeSerbia
| | - Ognjen Milicevic
- Department for Medical Statistics and InformaticsSchool of MedicineUniversity of BelgradeBelgradeSerbia
| | - Magdalena Djordjevic
- Institute of Physics BelgradeNational Institute of the Republic of SerbiaUniversity of BelgradeBelgradeSerbia
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24
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Wang Q, Wang X. Threshold effects of COVID-19-confirmed cases on change in pollutants changes: evidence from the Chinese top ten cities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:45756-45764. [PMID: 33876371 PMCID: PMC8055439 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13980-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
A more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on changes in pollution could serve us to better deal with the environmental challenges caused by the pandemic. Existing studies mainly focused on the linear impact of the pandemic on the pollutants without considering the impact of other factors. To fill the research gap, the nonlinear relationship between pandemic and pollutants with considering the temperature factor was explored by developing panel threshold regression approach. In the proposed approach, the number of confirmed cases was set as explanatory variable, concentrations of NO2 and PM2.5 were set as explained variables, temperature was used as threshold variable, and other air pollution indicators were used as control variables. The results showed that there is a threshold effect between the changes in confirmed COVID-19 cases and the concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2, confirming the impact of the pandemic on pollutions was nonlinear. The results also show that the negative impact of pandemic on pollution increased when the temperature was rising. This work had theoretical and practical significance. The nonlinear research perspective of this article provided a methodological reference for exploring the relationship between epidemic and pollutant-related variables. Furthermore, this study expanded the scope of application of the threshold panel regression model and enriched the quantitative analysis of epidemics and pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, People's Republic of China.
- Institute for Energy Economics and Policy, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, People's Republic of China
- Institute for Energy Economics and Policy, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, People's Republic of China
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25
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Zou S, He X. Effect of Train-Induced Wind on the Transmission of COVID-19: A New Insight into Potential Infectious Risks. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:8164. [PMID: 34360459 PMCID: PMC8345946 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18158164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has caused a traffic tie-up across the world. In addition to home quarantine orders and travel bans, the social distance guideline of about six feet was enacted to reduce the risk of contagion. However, with recent life gradually returning to normal, the crisis is not over. In this research, a moving train test and a Gaussian puff model were employed to investigate the impact of wind raised by a train running on the transmission and dispersion of SARS-CoV-2 from infected individuals. Our findings suggest that the 2 m social distance guideline may not be enough; under train-induced wind action, human respiratory disease-carrier droplets may travel to unexpected places. However, there are deficiencies in passenger safety guidelines and it is necessary to improve the quantitative research in the relationship between train-induced wind and virus transmission. All these findings could provide a fresh insight to contain the spread of COVID-19 and provide a basis for preventing and controlling the pandemic virus, and probe into strategies for control of the disease in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simin Zou
- School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410075, China
- Natiaonl Engineering Laboratory for High Speed Railway Construction, Changsha 410075, China
- Joint International Resarch Laboratory of Key Technology for Rail Traffic Safety, Changsha 410075, China
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of Rail Transit Engineering Structure, Changsha 410075, China
| | - Xuhui He
- School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410075, China
- Natiaonl Engineering Laboratory for High Speed Railway Construction, Changsha 410075, China
- Joint International Resarch Laboratory of Key Technology for Rail Traffic Safety, Changsha 410075, China
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of Rail Transit Engineering Structure, Changsha 410075, China
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Environmental determinants of COVID-19 transmission across a wide climatic gradient in Chile. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9849. [PMID: 33972582 PMCID: PMC8111027 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89213-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have examined the transmission dynamics of the novel COVID-19 disease in different parts of the world. Some have reported relationships with various environmental variables, suggesting that spread of the disease is enhanced in colder and drier climates. However, evidence is still scarce and mostly limited to a few countries, particularly from Asia. We examined the potential role of multiple environmental variables in COVID-19 infection rate [measured as mean relative infection rate = (number of infected inhabitants per week / total population) × 100.000) from February 23 to August 16, 2020 across 360 cities of Chile. Chile has a large climatic gradient (≈ 40º of latitude, ≈ 4000 m of altitude and 5 climatic zones, from desert to tundra), but all cities share their social behaviour patterns and regulations. Our results indicated that COVID-19 transmission in Chile was mostly related to three main climatic factors (minimum temperature, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity). Transmission was greater in colder and drier cities and when atmospheric pressure was lower. The results of this study support some previous findings about the main climatic determinants of COVID-19 transmission, which may be useful for decision-making and management of the disease.
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Zhao C, Fang X, Feng Y, Fang X, He J, Pan H. Emerging role of air pollution and meteorological parameters in COVID-19. J Evid Based Med 2021; 14:123-138. [PMID: 34003571 PMCID: PMC8207011 DOI: 10.1111/jebm.12430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to air pollutants has been associated with respiratory viral infections. Epidemiological studies have shown that air pollution exposure is related to increased cases of SARS-COV-2 infection and COVID-19-associated mortality. In addition, the changes of meteorological parameters have also been implicated in the occurrence and development of COVID-19. However, the molecular mechanisms by which pollutant exposure and changes of meteorological parameters affects COVID-19 remains unknown. This review summarizes the biology of COVID-19 and the route of viral transmission, and elaborates on the relationship between air pollution and climate indicators and COVID-19. Finally, we envisaged the potential roles of air pollution and meteorological parameters in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Channa Zhao
- Anhui Provincial Tuberculosis InstituteHefeiAnhuiChina
| | - Xinyu Fang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public HealthAnhui Medical UniversityHefeiAnhuiChina
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui ProvinceHefeiAnhuiChina
| | - Yating Feng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public HealthAnhui Medical UniversityHefeiAnhuiChina
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui ProvinceHefeiAnhuiChina
| | - Xuehui Fang
- Anhui Provincial Tuberculosis InstituteHefeiAnhuiChina
| | - Jun He
- Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and PreventionHefeiChina
- Key Laboratory for Medical and Health of the 13th Five‐Year PlanHefeiAnhuiChina
| | - Haifeng Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public HealthAnhui Medical UniversityHefeiAnhuiChina
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui ProvinceHefeiAnhuiChina
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Zuo Z, Ullah S, Yan L, Sun Y, Peng F, Jiang K, Zhao H. Trajectory Simulation and Prediction of COVID-19 via Compound Natural Factor (CNF) Model in EDBF Algorithm. EARTH'S FUTURE 2021; 9:e2020EF001936. [PMID: 34230884 PMCID: PMC8250312 DOI: 10.1029/2020ef001936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Natural and non-natural factors have combined effects on the trajectory of COVID-19 pandemic, but it is difficult to make them separate. To address this problem, a two-stepped methodology is proposed. First, a compound natural factor (CNF) model is developed via assigning weight to each of seven investigated natural factors, that is temperature, humidity, visibility, wind speed, barometric pressure, aerosol, and vegetation in order to show their coupling relationship with the COVID-19 trajectory. Onward, the empirical distribution based framework (EDBF) is employed to iteratively optimize the coupling relationship between trajectory and CNF to express the real interaction. In addition, the collected data is considered from the backdate, that is about 23 days-which contains 14-days incubation period and 9-days invalid human response time-due to the nonavailability of prior information about the natural spreading of virus without any human intervention(s), and also lag effects of the weather change and social interventions on the observed trajectory due to the COVID-19 incubation period; Second, the optimized CNF-plus-polynomial model is used to predict the future trajectory of COVID-19. Results revealed that aerosol and visibility show the higher contribution to transmission, wind speed to death, and humidity followed by barometric pressure dominate the recovery rates, respectively. Consequently, the average effect of environmental change to COVID-19 trajectory in China is minor in all variables, that is about -0.3%, +0.3%, and +0.1%, respectively. In this research, the response analysis of COVID-19 trajectory to the compound natural interactions presents a new prospect on the part of global pandemic trajectory to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengkang Zuo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Information Integration and 3s ApplicationSchool of Earth and Space SciencePeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Sana Ullah
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Information Integration and 3s ApplicationSchool of Earth and Space SciencePeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Lei Yan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Information Integration and 3s ApplicationSchool of Earth and Space SciencePeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yiyuan Sun
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Information Integration and 3s ApplicationSchool of Earth and Space SciencePeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Fei Peng
- School of GeosciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Kaiwen Jiang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Information Integration and 3s ApplicationSchool of Earth and Space SciencePeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hongying Zhao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Space Information Integration and 3s ApplicationSchool of Earth and Space SciencePeking UniversityBeijingChina
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Cao H, Han L, Liu Z, Li L. Monitoring and driving force analysis of spatial and temporal change of water area of Hongjiannao Lake from 1973 to 2019. ECOL INFORM 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Toward Understanding the Variation of Air Quality Based on a Comprehensive Analysis in Hebei Province under the Influence of COVID-19 Lockdown. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12020267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Associated with the outbreak of new coronavirus in 2019 (COVID-19), lockdown measures were taken in spring 2020 in China, providing an ideal experiment to investigate the effects of emission controls on air quality. Using the observation data at 56 stations in Hebei province from the China National Environmental Monitoring Center from January 2019 to May 2020, along with the reanalysis meteorology data from ERA5, this study investigates the spatial and temporal variations of six air pollutants, and the clean and pollution events in COVID-19 period. Compared with the same periods in day and month in 2019 (SP19), the concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 μm (PM10), particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), and carbon monoxide (CO) decreased by 39.2%, 38.2%, 42.1%, 39.8%, and 24.8% for lockdown period, respectively; and decreased by 13.7%, 8.9%, 16.8%, 13.4%, and 10.6% for post-lockdown period, respectively. In contrast, ozone (O3) increased by 8.0% and 5.5% for lockdown and post-lockdown periods, respectively. The diurnal variation analysis shows that the air pollutants other than O3 decrease more in the morning time (6:00–10:00 local time) than in the afternoon time (14:00–18:00 local time) during both lockdown and post-lockdown periods compared to SP19, implying the potential contribution from pollution-meteorology interaction. After lockdown period, SO2 and NO2 resumed quickly in most cities other than in Zhangjiakou, which is a city with few industries making it more sensitive to meteorology. The significant improvement of air quality during the lockdown period suggests that the whole air quality is highly dependent on the pollutant emissions, while the relatively weak reduction of pollution events imply that the pollution events are more dependent on adverse weather conditions.
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Salom I, Rodic A, Milicevic O, Zigic D, Djordjevic M, Djordjevic M. Effects of Demographic and Weather Parameters on COVID-19 Basic Reproduction Number. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.617841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It is hard to overstate the importance of a timely prediction of the COVID-19 pandemic progression. Yet, this is not possible without a comprehensive understanding of environmental factors that may affect the infection transmissibility. Studies addressing parameters that may influence COVID-19 progression relied on either the total numbers of detected cases and similar proxies (which are highly sensitive to the testing capacity, levels of introduced social distancing measures, etc.), and/or a small number of analyzed factors, including analysis of regions that display a narrow range of these parameters. We here apply a novel approach, exploiting widespread growth regimes in COVID-19 detected case counts. By applying nonlinear dynamics methods to the exponential regime, we extract basic reproductive number R0 (i.e., the measure of COVID-19 inherent biological transmissibility), applying to the completely naïve population in the absence of social distancing, for 118 different countries. We then use bioinformatics methods to systematically collect data on a large number of potentially interesting demographics and weather parameters for these countries (where data was available), and seek their correlations with the rate of COVID-19 spread. While some of the already reported or assumed tendencies (e.g., negative correlation of transmissibility with temperature and humidity, significant correlation with UV, generally positive correlation with pollution levels) are also confirmed by our analysis, we report a number of both novel results and those that help settle existing disputes: the absence of dependence on wind speed and air pressure, negative correlation with precipitation; significant positive correlation with society development level (human development index) irrespective of testing policies, and percent of the urban population, but absence of correlation with population density per se. We find a strong positive correlation of transmissibility on alcohol consumption, and the absence of correlation on refugee numbers, contrary to some widespread beliefs. Significant tendencies with health-related factors are reported, including a detailed analysis of the blood type group showing consistent tendencies on Rh factor, and a strong positive correlation of transmissibility with cholesterol levels. Detailed comparisons of obtained results with previous findings, and limitations of our approach, are also provided.
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Meteorological parameters and COVID-19 spread-Russia a case study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE AND TRANSFORMATION IN TIMES OF COVID-19 2021. [PMCID: PMC8137802 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-85512-9.00033-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
An attempt was made in this chaper to understand the meteorological controls on SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) spread in Russia. Russia is one of the most affected country for COVID-19 and significant death cases were recorded. A continuous seven-month data from 31 January to 23 August 2020 from different locations in the country was collected through the commonly available websites. COVID data (total cases (966189), daily new cases (11656), daily deaths (232), and total recovered (777960)) and meteorological parameters (temperature, dew, precipitation, humidity, and wind speed) were used for this analysis. The results show an increasing trend of daily new cases and daily deaths during lock down period, and it gradually decreased or stabilized in the post lock down period. It infers the effectiveness of movement control during the lock down period, that stops further spreading. The positive correlation between COVID cases and temperature indicate that the increase of temperature increases the spreading and vice versa. The negative relationship of humidity with death cases also facilitates the pandemic spread. Thus, the outcome of this study may help to address concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic among the public and policymakers.
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Marquès M, Rovira J, Nadal M, Domingo JL. Effects of air pollution on the potential transmission and mortality of COVID-19: A preliminary case-study in Tarragona Province (Catalonia, Spain). ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 192:110315. [PMID: 33058813 PMCID: PMC7550102 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The number of studies published on COVID-19 in recent months is certainly impressive. However, there are still important gaps to know a great number of characteristics of this disease. Among these, some potential ways of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 and the different reasons for the severity of the disease in different people. Various studies have suggested that certain air pollutants could be increasing the transmission of the coronavirus, as well as the risks of COVID-19 incidence and mortality. In the present preliminary case-study conducted in Tarragona Province (Catalonia, Spain), we studied the potential association of COVID-19 with PM10, NO2 and O3, as well as the differences in the incidence and lethality of this disease. This Province is divided into two "health regions": Camp de Tarragona, with an important industrial complex, and Terres de l'Ebre, with a great agricultural component. In spite of the notable limitations of the current study, our preliminary findings indicate that the industrialized/urban areas of Tarragona Province show a higher incidence and mortality of COVID-19 than the agricultural/rural zones. These - and previous - results would highlight the importance of conducting specific investigations focused on directly assessing whether air pollutants such as particulate matter can act as carriers of the SARS-CoV-2. If confirmed, the recommendation on keeping the "social distance" (1.5-2 m) might need to be adapted to this situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montse Marquès
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Joaquim Rovira
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Catalonia, Spain; Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Departament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, 43007, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Martí Nadal
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Catalonia, Spain
| | - José L Domingo
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201, Reus, Catalonia, Spain
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Ali N, Islam F. The Effects of Air Pollution on COVID-19 Infection and Mortality-A Review on Recent Evidence. Front Public Health 2020; 8:580057. [PMID: 33324598 PMCID: PMC7725793 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.580057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 has created a serious public health concern worldwide. Although, most of the regions around the globe have been affected by COVID-19 infections; some regions are more badly affected in terms of infections and fatality rates than others. The exact reasons for such variations are not clear yet. This review discussed the possible effects of air pollution on COVID-19 infections and mortality based on some recent evidence. The findings of most studies reviewed here demonstrate that both short-term and long-term exposure to air pollution especially PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) may contribute significantly to higher rates of COVID-19 infections and mortalities with a lesser extent also PM10. A significant correlation has been found between air pollution and COVID-19 infections and mortality in some countries in the world. The available data also indicate that exposure to air pollution may influence COVID-19 transmission. Moreover, exposure to air pollution may increase vulnerability and have harmful effects on the prognosis of patients affected by COVID-19 infections. Further research should be conducted considering some potential confounders such as age and pre-existing medical conditions along with exposure to NO2, PM2.5 and other air pollutants to confirm their detrimental effects on mortalities from COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurshad Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh
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35
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Ran J, Zhao S, Han L, Peng Z, Wang MH, Qiu Y, He D. Initial COVID-19 Transmissibility and Three Gaseous Air Pollutants (NO 2, SO 2, and CO): A Nationwide Ecological Study in China. Front Med (Lausanne) 2020; 7:575839. [PMID: 33072788 PMCID: PMC7541936 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2020.575839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we conducted an ecological study to examine their effects in the early phase of the pandemic (from December 2019 to February 2020) in China. We found that the associations between the average concentrations of NO2, SO2, and CO and the COVID-19 transmissibility are not statistically clear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjun Ran
- Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi Zhao
- Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Shenzhen Research Institute, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lefei Han
- School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zhihang Peng
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Maggie H Wang
- Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Shenzhen Research Institute, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yulan Qiu
- School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Daihai He
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
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36
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Cantone E, Gamerra M. The Biometeorology of COVID-19: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy? ACTA MEDICA (HRADEC KRALOVE) 2020; 63:202-204. [PMID: 33355083 DOI: 10.14712/18059694.2020.65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Cantone
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences - ENT section, University "Federico II", Naples, Italy.
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