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Lozano-Bilbao E, Hardisson A, González-Weller D, Paz S, Gutiérrez ÁJ. Impact of tourism on metal concentrations in Phorcus sauciatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic period in Canary Islands (CE Atlantic, Spain). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 207:116917. [PMID: 39241368 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116917] [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: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 08/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
The pandemic (COVID-19) had diverse effects on marine pollution. Throughout the lockdown periods, temporary enhancements in water quality and biodiversity were observed due to reduced human activity and constraints on travel and maritime transportation. The marine snail, Phorcus sauciatus, served as an indicator for marine pollution, and samples were collected in Tenerife, Canary Islands, during various months in 2020. The findings indicated that metal concentrations in Phorcus sauciatus were higher in February but declined in July and December as a result of reduced tourist activity during the pandemic. This underscores the significance of promoting sustainable tourism in the Canary Islands to mitigate high metal concentrations in the marine environment. The COVID-19 pandemic had a positive impact on reducing metal concentrations in marine pollution, underscoring the importance of adopting sustainable tourism practices to protect marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Lozano-Bilbao
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Grupo de Investigación en Ecología Marina Aplicada y Pesquerías (EMAP), Instituto de Investigación de Estudios Ambientales y Recursos Naturales (i-UNAT), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Campus de Tafira, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas, Spain.
| | - Arturo Hardisson
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Dailos González-Weller
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Servicio Público Canario de Salud, Laboratorio Central, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 38006 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Soraya Paz
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ángel J Gutiérrez
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Alimentaria y Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna, Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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Gong Z, Song T, Hu M, Che Q, Guo J, Zhang H, Li H, Wang Y, Liu B, Shi N. Natural and socio-environmental factors in the transmission of COVID-19: a comprehensive analysis of epidemiology and mechanisms. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:2196. [PMID: 39138466 PMCID: PMC11321203 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19749-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There are significant differences in the transmission rate and mortality rate of COVID-19 under environmental conditions such as seasons and climates. However, the impact of environmental factors on the role of the COVID-19 pandemic and the transmission mechanism of the SARS-CoV-2 is unclear. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the impact of environmental factors on COVID-19 can provide innovative insights for global epidemic prevention and control policies and COVID-19 related research. This review summarizes the evidence of the impact of different natural and social environmental factors on the transmission of COVID-19 through a comprehensive analysis of epidemiology and mechanism research. This will provide innovative inspiration for global epidemic prevention and control policies and provide reference for similar infectious diseases that may emerge in the future. RECENT FINDINGS Evidence reveals mechanisms by which natural environmental factors influence the transmission of COVID-19, including (i) virus survival and transport, (ii) immune system damage, (iii) inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell death, and (iiii) increasing risk of complications. All of these measures appear to be effective in controlling the spread or mortality of COVID-19: (1) reducing air pollution levels, (2) rational use of ozone disinfection and medical ozone therapy, (3) rational exposure to sunlight, (4) scientific ventilation and maintenance of indoor temperature and humidity, (5) control of population density, and (6) control of population movement. Our review indicates that with the continuous mutation of SARS-CoV-2, high temperature, high humidity, low air pollution levels, and low population density more likely to slow down the spread of the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyuan Gong
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Tian Song
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Mingzhi Hu
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Qianzi Che
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Jing Guo
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Haili Zhang
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Huizhen Li
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Yanping Wang
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Bin Liu
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Nannan Shi
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
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Chen J, Lin P, Tang P, Zhu D, Ma R, Meng J. Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the association between short-term exposure to carbon monoxide and COVID-19 incidence: A multistage time-series study in the continental United States. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33487. [PMID: 39040246 PMCID: PMC11260942 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33487] [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: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Previous research has established carbon monoxide (CO) as a significant air pollutant contributing to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. The spatiotemporal heterogeneity in the relationship between short-duration CO exposure and COVID-19 incidence remain underexplored. Investigating such heterogeneity plays a crucial role in designing region-specific cost-effective public health policies, exploring the reasons for heterogeneity, and understanding the temporal trends in the association between CO and an emerging infectious disease such as COVID-19. Methods The 49 states of the continental United States (U.S.) were examined in this study. Initially, we developed time-series generalized additive models (GAMs) for each state to assess the preliminary correlation between daily COVID-19 cases and short-term CO exposure from April 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021. Subsequently, the correlations were compiled utilizing Leroux-prior-based conditional autoregression (LCAR) to achieve a smoothed spatial distribution. Finally, we integrated a time-varying component into the GAM and LCAR to analyze temporal correlations and illuminate the factors contributing to spatiotemporal heterogeneity. Results Our analysis revealed that, across the 49 states, a 10-ppb increase in CO concentration was associated with a 1.33 % (95%CI: 0.86%-1.81 %) increase in COVID-19 cases on average. Furthermore, spatial variability was noted, with weaker correlations observed in the central and southeastern regions, stronger associations in the northeastern regions, and negligible associations in the western regions. Temporally, the correlation was not significant from April 2020 to June 2021, but began to increase steadily thereafter until the end of 2021. Additionally, vaccination and temperature were determined to be potential causes contributing to the heterogeneity, indicating stronger positive associations in areas with higher vaccination rates and temperatures. Conclusion The findings of this study underscore the importance of monitoring CO pollution in the central and northeastern US, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, 610000, China
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Ping Lin
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Ping Tang
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The Second People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Dajian Zhu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The First People's Hospital of Shuangliu District / West China (Airport) Hospital Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Rong Ma
- People's Hospital of Xindu District, Chengdu, 610500, China
| | - Juan Meng
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
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Musonye HA, He YS, Bekele MB, Jiang LQ, Fan Cao, Xu YQ, Gao ZX, Ge M, He T, Zhang P, Zhao CN, Chen C, Wang P, Pan HF. Exploring the association between ambient air pollution and COVID-19 risk: A comprehensive meta-analysis with meta-regression modelling. Heliyon 2024; 10:e32385. [PMID: 39183866 PMCID: PMC11341291 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32385] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Air pollution is speculated to increase the risk of Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Nevertheless, the results remain inconsistent and inconclusive. This study aimed to explore the association between ambient air pollution (AAP) and COVID-19 risks using a meta-analysis with meta-regression modelling. Methods The inclusion criteria were: original studies quantifying the association using effect sizes and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs); time-series, cohort, ecological or case-crossover peer-reviewed studies in English. Exclusion criteria encompassed non-original studies, animal studies, and data with common errors. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Google Scholar electronic databases were systemically searched for eligible literature, up to 31, March 2023. The risk of bias (ROB) was assessed following the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality parameters. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled risk ratios (RRs) and their 95 % CIs. Results A total of 58 studies, between 2020 and 2023, met the inclusion criteria. The global representation was skewed, with major contributions from the USA (24.1 %) and China (22.4 %). The distribution included studies on short-term (43.1 %) and long-term (56.9 %) air pollution exposure. Ecological studies constituted 51.7 %, time-series-27.6 %, cohorts-17.2 %, and case crossover-3.4 %. ROB assessment showed low (86.2 %) and moderate (13.8 %) risk. The COVID-19 incidences increased with a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 [RR = 4.9045; 95 % CI (4.1548-5.7895)], PM10 [RR = 2.9427: (2.2290-3.8850)], NO2 [RR = 3.2750: (3.1420-3.4136)], SO2 [RR = 3.3400: (2.7931-3.9940)], CO [RR = 2.6244: (2.5208-2.7322)] and O3 [RR = 2.4008: (2.1859-2.6368)] concentrations. A 10 μg/m3 increase in concentrations of PM2.5 [RR = 3.0418: (2.7344-3.3838)], PM10 [RR = 2.6202: (2.1602-3.1781)], NO2 [RR = 3.2226: (2.1411-4.8504)], CO [RR = 1.8021 (0.8045-4.0370)] and O3 [RR = 2.3270 (1.5906-3.4045)] was significantly associated with COVID-19 mortality. Stratified analysis showed that study design, exposure period, and country influenced exposure-response associations. Meta-regression model indicated significant predictors for air pollution-COVID-19 incidence associations. Conclusion The study, while robust, lacks causality demonstration and focuses only on the USA and China, limiting its generalizability. Regardless, the study provides a strong evidence base for air pollution-COVID-19-risks associations, offering valuable insights for intervention measures for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Asena Musonye
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Institute of Kidney Disease, Inflammation & Immunity Mediated Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yi-Sheng He
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Institute of Kidney Disease, Inflammation & Immunity Mediated Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Merga Bayou Bekele
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Institute of Kidney Disease, Inflammation & Immunity Mediated Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Ling-Qiong Jiang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Institute of Kidney Disease, Inflammation & Immunity Mediated Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Fan Cao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yi-Qing Xu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Institute of Kidney Disease, Inflammation & Immunity Mediated Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Zhao-Xing Gao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Institute of Kidney Disease, Inflammation & Immunity Mediated Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Man Ge
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Institute of Kidney Disease, Inflammation & Immunity Mediated Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Tian He
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Institute of Kidney Disease, Inflammation & Immunity Mediated Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Institute of Kidney Disease, Inflammation & Immunity Mediated Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Chan-Na Zhao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Institute of Kidney Disease, Inflammation & Immunity Mediated Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Cong Chen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Institute of Kidney Disease, Inflammation & Immunity Mediated Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Teaching Center for Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Hai-Feng Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Institute of Kidney Disease, Inflammation & Immunity Mediated Diseases, The Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
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De Ridder D, Ladoy A, Choi Y, Jacot D, Vuilleumier S, Guessous I, Joost S, Greub G. Environmental and geographical factors influencing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 over 2 years: a fine-scale spatiotemporal analysis. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1298177. [PMID: 38957202 PMCID: PMC11217542 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1298177] [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: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Since its emergence in late 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to a global health crisis, affecting millions and reshaping societies and economies worldwide. Investigating the determinants of SARS-CoV-2 diffusion and their spatiotemporal dynamics at high spatial resolution is critical for public health and policymaking. Methods This study analyses 194,682 georeferenced SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests from March 2020 and April 2022 in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. We characterized five distinct pandemic periods using metrics of spatial and temporal clustering like inverse Shannon entropy, the Hoover index, Lloyd's index of mean crowding, and the modified space-time DBSCAN algorithm. We assessed the demographic, socioeconomic, and environmental factors contributing to cluster persistence during each period using eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), to consider non-linear and spatial effects. Results Our findings reveal important variations in the spatial and temporal clustering of cases. Notably, areas with flatter epidemics had higher total attack rate. Air pollution emerged as a factor showing a consistent positive association with higher cluster persistence, substantiated by both immission models and, to a lesser extent, tropospheric NO2 estimations. Factors including population density, testing rates, and geographical coordinates, also showed important positive associations with higher cluster persistence. The socioeconomic index showed no significant contribution to cluster persistence, suggesting its limited role in the observed dynamics, which warrants further research. Discussion Overall, the determinants of cluster persistence remained across the study periods. These findings highlight the need for effective air quality management strategies to mitigate air pollution's adverse impacts on public health, particularly in the context of respiratory viral diseases like COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- David De Ridder
- Geographic Information Research and Analysis in Population Health (GIRAPH) Lab, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
- Geospatial Molecular Epidemiology Group (GEOME), Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry (LGB), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Division and Department of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anaïs Ladoy
- Geographic Information Research and Analysis in Population Health (GIRAPH) Lab, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
- Geospatial Molecular Epidemiology Group (GEOME), Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry (LGB), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Yangji Choi
- Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Damien Jacot
- Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Séverine Vuilleumier
- La Source School of Nursing, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Idris Guessous
- Geographic Information Research and Analysis in Population Health (GIRAPH) Lab, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
- Division and Department of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Joost
- Geographic Information Research and Analysis in Population Health (GIRAPH) Lab, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
- Geospatial Molecular Epidemiology Group (GEOME), Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry (LGB), School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Division and Department of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- La Source School of Nursing, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gilbert Greub
- Institute of Microbiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Infectious Diseases Service, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Hoffmann L, Gilardi L, Schmitz MT, Erbertseder T, Bittner M, Wüst S, Schmid M, Rittweger J. Investigating the spatiotemporal associations between meteorological conditions and air pollution in the federal state Baden-Württemberg (Germany). Sci Rep 2024; 14:5997. [PMID: 38472290 PMCID: PMC10933279 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56513-4] [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] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
When analyzing health data in relation to environmental stressors, it is crucial to identify which variables to include in the statistical model to exclude dependencies among the variables. Four meteorological parameters: temperature, ultraviolet radiation, precipitation, and vapor pressure and four outdoor air pollution parameters: ozone ( O 3 ), nitrogen dioxide ( NO 2 ), particulate matter ( P M 2.5 , P M 10 ) were studied on a daily basis for Baden-Württemberg (Germany). This federal state covers urban and rural compartments including mountainous and river areas. A temporal and spatial analysis of the internal relationships was performed among the variables using (a) cross-correlations, both on the grand ensemble of data as well as within subsets, and (b) the Local Indications of Spatial Association (LISA) method. Meteorological and air pollution variables were strongly correlated within and among themselves in time and space. We found a strong interaction between nitrogen dioxide and ozone, with correlation coefficients varying over time. The coefficients ranged from negative correlations in January (-0.84), April (-0.47), and October (-0.54) to a positive correlation in July (0.45). The cross-correlation plot showed a noticeable change in the correlation direction for O 3 and NO 2 . Spatially, NO 2 , P M 2.5 , and P M 10 concentrations were significantly higher in urban than rural regions. For O 3 , this effect was reversed. A LISA analysis confirmed distinct hot and cold spots of environmental stressors. This work examined and quantified the spatio-temporal relationship between air pollution and meteorological conditions and recommended which variables to prioritize for future health impact analyses. The results found are in line with the underlying physico-chemical atmospheric processes. It also identified postal code areas with dominant environmental stressors for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leona Hoffmann
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany.
| | - Lorenza Gilardi
- German Remote Sensing Data Center, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Weßling, Germany
| | - Marie-Therese Schmitz
- Institute of Medical Biometry, Informatics and Epidemiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thilo Erbertseder
- German Remote Sensing Data Center, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Weßling, Germany
| | - Michael Bittner
- German Remote Sensing Data Center, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Weßling, Germany
| | - Sabine Wüst
- German Remote Sensing Data Center, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Weßling, Germany
| | - Matthias Schmid
- Institute of Medical Biometry, Informatics and Epidemiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jörn Rittweger
- Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Ren X, Mi Z, Georgopoulos PG. Socioexposomics of COVID-19 across New Jersey: a comparison of geostatistical and machine learning approaches. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2024; 34:197-207. [PMID: 36725924 PMCID: PMC9889956 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-023-00518-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disparities in adverse COVID-19 health outcomes have been associated with multiple social and environmental stressors. However, research is needed to evaluate the consistency and efficiency of methods for studying these associations at local scales. OBJECTIVE To assess socioexposomic associations with COVID-19 outcomes across New Jersey and evaluate consistency of findings from multiple modeling approaches. METHODS We retrieved data for COVID-19 cases and deaths for the 565 municipalities of New Jersey up to the end of the first phase of the pandemic, and calculated mortality rates with and without long-term-care (LTC) facility deaths. We considered 84 spatially heterogeneous environmental, demographic and socioeconomic factors from publicly available databases, including air pollution, proximity to industrial sites/facilities, transportation-related noise, occupation and commuting, neighborhood and housing characteristics, age structure, racial/ethnic composition, poverty, etc. Six geostatistical models (Poisson/Negative-Binomial regression, Poison/Negative-Binomial mixed effect model, Poisson/Negative-Binomial Bersag-York-Mollie spatial model) and two Machine Learning (ML) methods (Random Forest, Extreme Gradient Boosting) were implemented to assess association patterns. The Shapley effects plot was established for explainable ML and change of support validation was introduced to compare performances of different approaches. RESULTS We found robust positive associations of COVID-19 mortality with historic exposures to NO2, population density, percentage of minority and below high school education, and other social and environmental factors. Exclusion of LTC deaths does not significantly affect correlations for most factors but findings can be substantially influenced by model structures and assumptions. The best performing geostatistical models involved flexible structures representing data variations. ML methods captured association patterns consistent with the best performing geostatistical models, and furthermore detected consistent nonlinear associations not captured by geostatistical models. SIGNIFICANCE The findings of this work improve the understanding of how social and environmental disparities impacted COVID-19 outcomes across New Jersey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Ren
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Zhongyuan Mi
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Panos G Georgopoulos
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI), Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
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8
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Alari A, Ranzani O, Olmos S, Milà C, Rico A, Ballester J, Basagaña X, Dadvand P, Duarte-Salles T, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Vivanco-Hidalgo RM, Tonne C. Short-term exposure to air pollution and hospital admission after COVID-19 in Catalonia: the COVAIR-CAT study. Int J Epidemiol 2024; 53:dyae041. [PMID: 38514998 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyae041] [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] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing body of evidence has reported positive associations between long-term exposure to air pollution and poor COVID-19 outcomes. Inconsistent findings have been reported for short-term air pollution, mostly from ecological study designs. Using individual-level data, we studied the association between short-term variation in air pollutants [nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter with a diameter of <2.5 µm (PM2.5) and a diameter of <10 µm (PM10) and ozone (O3)] and hospital admission among individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. METHODS The COVAIR-CAT (Air pollution in relation to COVID-19 morbidity and mortality: a large population-based cohort study in Catalonia, Spain) cohort is a large population-based cohort in Catalonia, Spain including 240 902 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the primary care system from 1 March until 31 December 2020. Our outcome was hospitalization within 30 days of COVID-19 diagnosis. We used individual residential address to assign daily air-pollution exposure, estimated using machine-learning methods for spatiotemporal prediction. For each pandemic wave, we fitted Cox proportional-hazards models accounting for non-linear-distributed lagged exposure over the previous 7 days. RESULTS Results differed considerably by pandemic wave. During the second wave, an interquartile-range increase in cumulative weekly exposure to air pollution (lag0_7) was associated with a 12% increase (95% CI: 4% to 20%) in COVID-19 hospitalizations for NO2, 8% (95% CI: 1% to 16%) for PM2.5 and 9% (95% CI: 3% to 15%) for PM10. We observed consistent positive associations for same-day (lag0) exposure, whereas lag-specific associations beyond lag0 were generally not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests positive associations between NO2, PM2.5 and PM10 and hospitalization risk among individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 during the second wave. Cumulative hazard ratios were largely driven by exposure on the same day as hospitalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Alari
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Otavio Ranzani
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Olmos
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carles Milà
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alex Rico
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Joan Ballester
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Basagaña
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Payam Dadvand
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Talita Duarte-Salles
- Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Cathryn Tonne
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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9
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Feng B, Lian J, Yu F, Zhang D, Chen W, Wang Q, Shen Y, Xie G, Wang R, Teng Y, Lou B, Zheng S, Yang Y, Chen Y. Impact of short-term ambient air pollution exposure on the risk of severe COVID-19. J Environ Sci (China) 2024; 135:610-618. [PMID: 37778832 PMCID: PMC9550293 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.09.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Ecological studies suggested a link between air pollution and severe COVID-19 outcomes, while studies accounting for individual-level characteristics are limited. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the impact of short-term ambient air pollution exposure on disease severity among a cohort of 569 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to designated hospitals in Zhejiang province, China, from January 17 to March 3, 2020, and elucidate the possible biological processes involved using transcriptomics. Compared with mild cases, severe cases had higher proportion of medical conditions as well as unfavorable results in most of the laboratory tests, and manifested higher air pollution exposure levels. Higher exposure to air pollutants was associated with increased risk of severe COVID-19 with odds ratio (OR) of 1.89 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 3.53), 2.35 (95% CI: 1.20, 4.61), 2.87 (95% CI: 1.68, 4.91), and 2.01 (95% CI: 1.10, 3.69) for PM2.5, PM10, NO2 and CO, respectively. OR for NO2 remained significant in two-pollutant models after adjusting for other pollutants. Transcriptional analysis showed 884 differentially expressed genes which mainly were enriched in virus clearance related biological processes between patients with high and low NO2 exposure levels, indicating that compromised immune response might be a potential underlying mechanistic pathway. These findings highlight the impact of short-term air pollution exposure, particularly for NO2, on COVID-19 severity, and emphasize the significance in mitigating the COVID-19 burden of commitments to improve air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baihuan Feng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Jiangshan Lian
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Fei Yu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Weizhen Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Yifei Shen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Guoliang Xie
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Ruonan Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Yun Teng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Bin Lou
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Shufa Zheng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China.
| | - Yida Yang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China.
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310000, China; State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310000, China.
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10
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Liu S, Ji S, Xu J, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Liu J, Lu D. Exploring spatiotemporal pattern in the association between short-term exposure to fine particulate matter and COVID-19 incidence in the continental United States: a Leroux-conditional-autoregression-based strategy. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1308775. [PMID: 38186711 PMCID: PMC10768722 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1308775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Numerous studies have demonstrated that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is adversely associated with COVID-19 incidence. However, few studies have explored the spatiotemporal heterogeneity in this association, which is critical for developing cost-effective pollution-related policies for a specific location and epidemic stage, as well as, understanding the temporal change of association between PM2.5 and an emerging infectious disease like COVID-19. Methods The outcome was state-level daily COVID-19 cases in 49 native United States between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021. The exposure variable was the moving average of PM2.5 with a lag range of 0-14 days. A latest proposed strategy was used to investigate the spatial distribution of PM2.5-COVID-19 association in state level. First, generalized additive models were independently constructed for each state to obtain the rough association estimations, which then were smoothed using a Leroux-prior-based conditional autoregression. Finally, a modified time-varying approach was used to analyze the temporal change of association and explore the potential causes spatiotemporal heterogeneity. Results In all states, a positive association between PM2.5 and COVID-19 incidence was observed. Nearly one-third of these states, mainly located in the northeastern and middle-northern United States, exhibited statistically significant. On average, a 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration led to an increase in COVID-19 incidence by 0.92% (95%CI: 0.63-1.23%). A U-shaped temporal change of association was examined, with the strongest association occurring in the end of 2021 and the weakest association occurring in September 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021. Vaccination rate was identified as a significant cause for the association heterogeneity, with a stronger association occurring at a higher vaccination rate. Conclusion Short-term exposure to PM2.5 and COVID-19 incidence presented positive association in the United States, which exhibited a significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity with strong association in the eastern and middle regions and with a U-shaped temporal change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyi Liu
- Department of Hospital Infection Management, Chengdu First People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuming Ji
- Department of Clinical Research Management, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jianjun Xu
- Department of Hospital Infection Management, Chengdu First People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Yujing Zhang
- Department of Hospital Infection Management, Chengdu First People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Department of Hospital Infection Management, Chengdu First People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiahe Liu
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Donghao Lu
- Faculty of Art and Social Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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11
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Ranzani CDM, Silva SC, Hino P, Taminato M, Okuno MFP, Fernandes H. Perfil y características de la violencia contra los adultos mayores durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem 2023. [DOI: 10.1590/1518-8345.6220.3824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Resumen Objetivo: identificar el perfil sociodemográfico y las características de la violencia interpersonal contra los adultos mayores en el primer año de la pandemia de COVID-19 en una ciudad capital de la región sureste de Brasil. Método: investigación descriptiva, exploratoria con diseño transversal a partir del análisis de las notificaciones de casos sospechosos o confirmados de violencia contra el adulto mayor, ocurridos entre marzo de 2020 y marzo de 2021. Se realizó un análisis estadístico univariado y la prueba exacta de Fisher (p< 0,05). Resultados: hubo 2681 notificaciones en el período. Las principales víctimas fueron personas entre 60 y 64 años, de sexo femenino, blancas y con baja escolaridad. La mayoría de los casos se registró en el hogar. La violencia física y psicológica fueron las más comunes, con uso de fuerza física/golpes y amenaza, respectivamente. El agresor era generalmente del sexo masculino, más joven que la víctima, hijo o pareja. Las agresiones se produjeron más de una vez y fueron motivadas por conflictos generacionales. Hubo baja derivación a organismos de protección de adultos mayores. Conclusión: el perfil sociodemográfico obtenido revela que son víctimas vulnerables, sujetas a múltiples formas de violencia y que la integridad de su salud está en riesgo potencial.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Cirillo Silva
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Brazil
| | - Paula Hino
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil
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12
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Ranzani CDM, Silva SC, Hino P, Taminato M, Okuno MFP, Fernandes H. Perfil e características da violência contra a pessoa idosa durante a pandemia COVID-19. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem 2023. [DOI: 10.1590/1518-8345.6220.3826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Resumo Objetivo: identificar o perfil sociodemográfico e as características da violência interpessoal contra a pessoa idosa no primeiro ano da pandemia COVID-19 em uma capital da região sudeste do Brasil. Método: pesquisa descritiva, exploratória, com delineamento transversal a partir da análise das notificações de casos suspeitos ou confirmados de violência contra a pessoa idosa, ocorridas entre março de 2020 e março de 2021. Foi realizada a análise estatística univariada e teste exato de Fisher (p<0,05). Resultados: houve 2681 notificações no período. As principais vítimas foram pessoas com idade entre 60 e 64 anos, do sexo feminino, brancas e com baixa escolaridade. As ocorrências tiveram maior frequência nos domicílios. As violências físicas e psicológicas foram as mais comuns, com uso de força física/espancamento e ameaça, respectivamente. O agressor era, em sua maioria, do sexo masculino, mais jovem do que a vítima, geralmente filho ou parceiro íntimo. As agressões ocorreram mais de uma vez e foram motivadas por conflitos geracionais. Houve baixo encaminhamento para órgãos de proteção a pessoa idosa. Conclusão: o perfil sociodemográfico encontrado evidencia vítimas vulneráveis, sujeitas a muitas formas de violência e com potenciais riscos à integralidade de sua saúde.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Cirillo Silva
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Brazil
| | - Paula Hino
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil
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Lozano-Bilbao E, Delgado-Suárez I, Hardisson A, González-Weller D, Paz S, Gutiérrez ÁJ. Impact of the lockdown period during the COVID-19 pandemic on the metal content of the anemone Anemonia sulcata in the Canary Islands (CE Atlantic, Spain). CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 345:140499. [PMID: 37866492 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140499] [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: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Anemones, specifically the species Anemonia sulcata, are cnidarians that serve as bioindicators in marine ecosystems, indicating the health of the environment and changes in environmental conditions. Monitoring anemone populations and studying their well-being and distribution provide valuable insights into marine ecosystem conditions. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the metal content of Anemonia sulcata. Over a six-year period (2017-2022), twenty specimens of Anemonia sulcata were collected in Tenerife, Spain. The results showed that in 2020, during the two-month lockdown in Spain from March to May when tourism was halted, A. sulcata exhibited the lowest concentrations of various metals studied (Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn). This finding suggests that the reduced anthropogenic pressure on the coast due to the absence of tourism significantly decreased pollution levels. Therefore, the study emphasizes the importance of promoting sustainable tourism worldwide. The research highlights that minimizing human impact on coastal areas through responsible tourism practices can effectively reduce pollution in marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Lozano-Bilbao
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Ambiental y Seguridad de los Alimentos y Medicamentos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Grupo de Investigación en Ecología Marina Aplicada y Pesquerías (EMAP), Instituto de Investigación de Estudios Ambientales y Recursos Naturales (i-UNAT), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Campus de Tafira, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017, Las Palmas, Spain.
| | - Indira Delgado-Suárez
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Ambiental y Seguridad de los Alimentos y Medicamentos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna. Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Arturo Hardisson
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Ambiental y Seguridad de los Alimentos y Medicamentos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna. Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Dailos González-Weller
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Ambiental y Seguridad de los Alimentos y Medicamentos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Servicio Público Canario de Salud, Laboratorio Central, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 38006, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Soraya Paz
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Ambiental y Seguridad de los Alimentos y Medicamentos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna. Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ángel J Gutiérrez
- Grupo Interuniversitario de Toxicología Ambiental y Seguridad de los Alimentos y Medicamentos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Área de Toxicología, Universidad de La Laguna. Campus de Ofra, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, 38071, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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14
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Wagatsuma K. Association of Ambient Temperature and Absolute Humidity with the Effective Reproduction Number of COVID-19 in Japan. Pathogens 2023; 12:1307. [PMID: 38003771 PMCID: PMC10675148 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12111307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to quantify the exposure-lag-response relationship between short-term changes in ambient temperature and absolute humidity and the transmission dynamics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Japan. The prefecture-specific daily time-series of newly confirmed cases, meteorological variables, retail and recreation mobility, and Government Stringency Index were collected for all 47 prefectures of Japan for the study period from 15 February 2020 to 15 October 2022. Generalized conditional Gamma regression models were formulated with distributed lag nonlinear models by adopting the case-time-series design to assess the independent and interactive effects of ambient temperature and absolute humidity on the relative risk (RR) of the time-varying effective reproductive number (Rt). With reference to 17.8 °C, the corresponding cumulative RRs (95% confidence interval) at a mean ambient temperatures of 5.1 °C and 27.9 °C were 1.027 (1.016-1.038) and 0.982 (0.974-0.989), respectively, whereas those at an absolute humidity of 4.2 m/g3 and 20.6 m/g3 were 1.026 (1.017-1.036) and 0.995 (0.985-1.006), respectively, with reference to 10.6 m/g3. Both extremely hot and humid conditions synergistically and slightly reduced the Rt. Our findings provide a better understanding of how meteorological drivers shape the complex heterogeneous dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Wagatsuma
- Division of International Health (Public Health), Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8510, Japan; ; Tel.: +81-25-227-2129
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
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15
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Villatoro-García JA, López-Domínguez R, Martorell-Marugán J, Luna JDD, Lorente JA, Carmona-Sáez P. Exploring the interplay between climate, population immunity and SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in Mediterranean countries. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 897:165487. [PMID: 37451463 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165487] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between SARS-CoV-2 transmission and environmental factors has been analyzed in numerous studies since the outbreak of the pandemic, resulting in heterogeneous results and conclusions. This may be due to differences in methodology, considered variables, confounding factors, studied periods and/or lack of adequate data. Furthermore, previous works have reported that the lack of population immunity is the fundamental driver in transmission dynamics and can mask the potential impact of environmental variables. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between climate variables and COVID-19 transmission considering the influence of population immunity. We analyzed two different periods characterized by the absence of vaccination (low population immunity) and a high degree of vaccination (high level of population immunity), respectively. Although this study has some limitations, such us the restriction to a specific climatic zone and the omission of other environmental factors, our results indicate that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 may increase independently of temperature and specific humidity in periods with low levels of population immunity while a negative association is found under conditions with higher levels of population immunity in the analyzed regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Antonio Villatoro-García
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer / University of Granada / Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Raúl López-Domínguez
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer / University of Granada / Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Jordi Martorell-Marugán
- GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer / University of Granada / Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; Fundación para la Investigación Biosanitaria de Andalucía Oriental-Alejandro Otero (FIBAO), Spain
| | - Juan de Dios Luna
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - José Antonio Lorente
- GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer / University of Granada / Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; Department of Legal Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, PTS Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Pedro Carmona-Sáez
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; GENYO. Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research: Pfizer / University of Granada / Andalusian Regional Government, PTS Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain.
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16
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Liu S, Luo J, Dai X, Ji S, Lu D. Using a time-varying LCAR-based strategy to investigate the spatiotemporal pattern of association between short-term exposure to particulate matter and COVID-19 incidence: a case study in the continental USA. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:115984-115993. [PMID: 37897578 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30621-6] [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: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies have demonstrated that short-term exposure to particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM10) is positively associated with the COVID-19 incidence. However, no study has investigated the spatiotemporal pattern in this association, which plays important roles in identifying high-susceptibility regions and stages of epidemic. In this work, taking the 49 native states in America as an example, we used an advanced strategy to investigate this issue. First, time-series generalized additive model (GAM) were independently constructed to obtain the state-specific associations between short-term exposure to PM10 and the daily COVID-19 cases from 1 April 2020 to 31 December 2021. Then, a Leroux-prior-based conditional autoregression (LCAR) was used to spatially smoothen the associations. Third, the temporal variation of association and the reasons underlying the spatiotemporal heterogeneity were investigated by incorporating the time-varying GAM into LCAR. Results showed that PM10 was adversely associated with COVID-19 incidence in all the states. On average, a 10 μg/m3 increase of PM10 was associated with a 7.38% (95% CI 5.20-9.64%) increase in COVID-19 cases. A substantial spatial heterogeneity was observed, with strong associations in the middle and northeastern regions and weak associations in the western regions. The temporal trend of association presented a U shape, with the strongest association in the end of 2021. The vaccination rate was examined as a significant effect modifier. Our study provided the first evidence about the spatiotemporal pattern in PM10-COVID-19 associations and suggested that air pollution deserves more attention in the post-pandemic era and in the middle and northeastern regions in America for COVID-19 control and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyi Liu
- Department of Hospital Infection Management, Chengdu First People's Hospital, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Jun Luo
- Department of Cardiovascular, Chengdu First People's Hospital, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xin Dai
- Department of Medical Administration, Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Shuming Ji
- Department of Clinical Research Management, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610072, China
| | - Donghao Lu
- Faculty of Art and Social Science, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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17
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Bhadola P, Chaudhary V, Markandan K, Talreja RK, Aggarwal S, Nigam K, Tahir M, Kaushik A, Rustagi S, Khalid M. Analysing role of airborne particulate matter in abetting SARS-CoV-2 outbreak for scheming regional pandemic regulatory modalities. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 236:116646. [PMID: 37481054 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
The mutating SARS-CoV-2 necessitates gauging the role of airborne particulate matter in the COVID-19 outbreak for designing area-specific regulation modalities based on the environmental state-of-affair. To scheme the protocols, the hotspots of air pollutants such as PM2.5, PM10, NH3, NO, NO2, SO2, and and environmental factors including relative humidity (RH), and temperature, along with COVID-19 cases and mortality from January 2020 till December 2020 from 29 different ground monitoring stations spanning Delhi, are mapped. Spearman correlation coefficients show a positive relationship between SARS-COV-2 with particulate matter (PM2.5 with r > 0.36 and PM10 with r > 0.31 and p-value <0·001). Besides, SARS-COV-2 transmission showed a substantial correlation with NH3 (r = 0.41), NO2 (r = 0.36), and NO (r = 0.35) with a p-value <0.001, which is highly indicative of their role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. These outcomes are associated with the source of PM and its constituent trace elements to understand their overtone with COVID-19. This strongly validates temporal and spatial variation in COVID-19 dependence on air pollutants as well as on environmental factors. Besides, the bottlenecks of missing latent data, monotonous dependence of variables, and the role air pollutants with secondary environmental variables are discussed. The analysis set the foundation for strategizing regional-based modalities considering environmental variables (i.e., pollutant concentration, relative humidity, temperature) as well as urban and transportation planning for efficient control and handling of future public health emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep Bhadola
- Centre for Theoretical Physics & Natural Philosophy, Mahidol University, Nakhonsawan 60130, Thailand
| | - Vishal Chaudhary
- Department of Physics, Bhagini Nivedita College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110072, India.
| | - Kalaimani Markandan
- Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Technology and Built Environment, UCSI University, Cheras 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Rishi Kumar Talreja
- Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Sumit Aggarwal
- Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases (ECD), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-Headquaters, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Kuldeep Nigam
- Division of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases (ECD), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-Headquaters, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Mohammad Tahir
- Department of Computing, University of Turku, FI-20014, Turun Yliopisto, Finland
| | - Ajeet Kaushik
- NanoBio Tech Laboratory, Department of Environmental Engineering, Florida Polytechnic University, Lakeland, FL, 33805, USA; School of Engineering, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Sarvesh Rustagi
- School of Applied and Life Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, Uttrakhand, India
| | - Mohammad Khalid
- Sunway Centre for Electrochemical Energy and Sustainable Technology (SCEEST), School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, No. 5, Jalan University, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Division of Research and Development, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, 144411, Punjab, India; School of Engineering and Technology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, 201310, India.
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18
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Fedrizzi L, Carugno M, Consonni D, Lombardi A, Bandera A, Bono P, Ceriotti F, Gori A, Pesatori AC. Air pollution exposure, SARS-CoV-2 infection, and immune response in a cohort of healthcare workers of a large university hospital in Milan, Italy. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 236:116755. [PMID: 37517490 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Several studies have examined the possible relationship between air pollutants and the risk of COVID-19 but most returned controversial findings. We tried to assess the association between (short- and long-term) exposure to particulate and gaseous pollutants, SARS-CoV-2 infections, and immune response in a population of healthcare workers (HCWs) with well-characterized individual data. We collected occupational and clinical characteristics of all HCWs who performed a nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) for detecting SARS-CoV-2 at the Policlinico Hospital in Milan (Lombardy, Italy) between February 24, 2020 (day after first documented case of COVID-19 in our hospital) and December 26, 2020 (day before start of the vaccination campaign). Each subject was assigned daily average levels of particulate matter ≤10 μm (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) retrieved from the air quality monitoring station closest to his/her residential address. Air pollution data were treated as time-dependent variables, generating person-days at risk. Multivariate Poisson regression models were fit to evaluate the rate of positive NPS and to assess the association between air pollution and antibody titer among NPS-positive HCWs. Among 3712 included HCWs, 635 (17.1%) had at least one positive NPS. A 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2 average concentration in the four days preceding NPS was associated with a higher risk of testing positive [Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) = 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01; 1.16)]. When considering a 1 μg/m3 increase in 2019 annual NO2 average, we observed a higher risk of infection (IRR: 1.02, 95%CI: 1.00; 1.03) and an increased antibody titer (+2.4%, 95%CI: 1.1; 3.6%). Findings on PM10 and O3 were less consistent and, differently from NO2, were not confirmed in multipollutant models. Our study increases the body of evidence suggesting an active role of air pollution exposure on SARS-CoV-2 infection and confirms the importance of implementing pollution reduction policies to improve public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Fedrizzi
- Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Carugno
- Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - Dario Consonni
- Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Lombardi
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bandera
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Bono
- Clinical Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Ferruccio Ceriotti
- Clinical Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Gori
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Angela Cecilia Pesatori
- Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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19
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Araque-Rodriguez SA, Solarte I, Rojas-Roa N, Rodriguez-Villamizar LA. Altitude and COVID-19 in Colombia: An updated analysis accounting for potential confounders. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2023; 316:104136. [PMID: 37532001 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2023.104136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
We assessed the relationship between the altitude of municipalities and the incidence, mortality, and fatality from COVID-19 and excess of mortality in Colombia between 2020 and 2022. We conducted an ecologic study including all 1122 municipalities in Colombia and used categories of altitude as main independent variable. We fit multivariable regression models for incidence, mortality, fatality rates, and excess of mortality controlling for several variables at municipality level. There was a higher incidence rate, similar mortality rate and lower case-fatality rate for COVID-19 during 2020-2022 in municipalities in the upper category of altitude (>=2500 masl) compared to the lower category (<1000 masl). The excess of mortality was lower but not statistically different in municipalities in the upper category of altitude, and significantly lower in the intermediate altitude category compared to the lowlands. Our findings provide evidence that municipalities with high altitude had similar mortality rate, and lower case-fatality rate and excess of mortality for COVID-19 compared to lowlands in Colombia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago A Araque-Rodriguez
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Calle 157 14-55, 681001 Floridablanca, Colombia
| | - Iván Solarte
- Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Carrera 7 40-62, Bogotá, Colombia; Unidad de Neumología, Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Carrera 7 40-62, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Néstor Rojas-Roa
- Facultad de Ingenierías, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Edificio 401, Carrera 45 26-85, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Laura A Rodriguez-Villamizar
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Carrera 32 29-31 of 301, 68002, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
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20
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Wagatsuma K, Koolhof IS, Saito R. Nonlinear and Multidelayed Effects of Meteorological Drivers on Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Japan. Viruses 2023; 15:1914. [PMID: 37766320 PMCID: PMC10535838 DOI: 10.3390/v15091914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to characterize the nonlinear and multidelayed effects of multiple meteorological drivers on human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) infection epidemics in Japan. The prefecture-specific weekly time-series of the number of newly confirmed HRSV infection cases and multiple meteorological variables were collected for 47 Japanese prefectures from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2019. We combined standard time-series generalized linear models with distributed lag nonlinear models to determine the exposure-lag-response association between the incidence relative risks (IRRs) of HRSV infection and its meteorological drivers. Pooling the 2-week cumulative estimates showed that overall high ambient temperatures (22.7 °C at the 75th percentile compared to 16.3 °C) and high relative humidity (76.4% at the 75th percentile compared to 70.4%) were associated with higher HRSV infection incidence (IRR for ambient temperature 1.068, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.056-1.079; IRR for relative humidity 1.045, 95% CI, 1.032-1.059). Precipitation revealed a positive association trend, and for wind speed, clear evidence of a negative association was found. Our findings provide a basic picture of the seasonality of HRSV transmission and its nonlinear association with multiple meteorological drivers in the pre-HRSV-vaccination and pre-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) era in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Wagatsuma
- Division of International Health (Public Health), Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8510, Japan;
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Iain S. Koolhof
- College of Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7000, Australia;
| | - Reiko Saito
- Division of International Health (Public Health), Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata 951-8510, Japan;
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21
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Woodward SM, Mork D, Wu X, Hou Z, Braun D, Dominici F. Combining aggregate and individual-level data to estimate individual-level associations between air pollution and COVID-19 mortality in the United States. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0002178. [PMID: 37531330 PMCID: PMC10395946 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Imposing stricter regulations for PM2.5 has the potential to mitigate damaging health and climate change effects. Recent evidence establishing a link between exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 outcomes is one of many arguments for the need to reduce the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM2.5. However, many studies reporting a relationship between COVID-19 outcomes and PM2.5 have been criticized because they are based on ecological regression analyses, where area-level counts of COVID-19 outcomes are regressed on area-level exposure to air pollution and other covariates. It is well known that regression models solely based on area-level data are subject to ecological bias, i.e., they may provide a biased estimate of the association at the individual-level, due to within-area variability of the data. In this paper, we augment county-level COVID-19 mortality data with a nationally representative sample of individual-level covariate information from the American Community Survey along with high-resolution estimates of PM2.5 concentrations obtained from a validated model and aggregated to the census tract for the contiguous United States. We apply a Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach to combine county-, census tract-, and individual-level data to ultimately draw inference about individual-level associations between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and mortality for COVID-19. By analyzing data prior to the Emergency Use Authorization for the COVID-19 vaccines we found that an increase of 1 μg/m3 in long-term PM2.5 exposure, averaged over the 17-year period 2000-2016, is associated with a 3.3% (95% credible interval, 2.8 to 3.8%) increase in an individual's odds of COVID-19 mortality. Code to reproduce our study is publicly available at https://github.com/NSAPH/PM_COVID_ecoinference. The results confirm previous evidence of an association between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and COVID-19 mortality and strengthen the case for tighter regulations on harmful air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie M. Woodward
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Daniel Mork
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Xiao Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Zhewen Hou
- Department of Statistics, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Danielle Braun
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Francesca Dominici
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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22
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Lewis BM, Battye WH, Aneja VP, Kim H, Bell ML. Modeling and Analysis of Air Pollution and Environmental Justice: The Case for North Carolina's Hog Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:87018. [PMID: 37616159 PMCID: PMC10449010 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) emit pollutants that can cause negative impacts on human health. The concentration of hog production in North Carolina raises concerns regarding the disproportionate exposure of vulnerable communities to air pollution from CAFOs. OBJECTIVES We investigated whether exposure to gaseous ammonia (NH 3 ) and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S ) (in 2019) differs between subpopulations by examining demographics, including race/ethnicity, age, educational attainment, language proficiency, and socioeconomic status. METHODS We used an Air Monitoring Station (AMS)/Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regulatory Model (AERMOD)-based Human Exposure Model (version 3) to estimate ambient concentrations of NH 3 and H 2 S from hog farms in Duplin County and its surrounding counties in North Carolina and estimate subsequent exposures of communities within 50 km of Duplin County, North Carolina, or the Duplin County Region. We combined estimated exposures with 2016 American Community Summary Census data, at the block group level, using spatial analysis to investigate whether exposures to these pollutants differ by race and ethnicity, age, income, education, and language proficiency. Based on these estimations, we assessed associated exposure risks to the impacted communities and used multivariable regression modeling to evaluate the relationship between average ammonia exposures from Duplin regional hog farms and the presence of vulnerable populations. RESULTS The average [± standard deviation ( SD ) ] annual estimated concentration of NH 3 and H 2 S in the Duplin County Region is 1.75 ± 2.81 μ g / m 3 and 0.0087 ± 0.014 μ g / m 3 , respectively. The maximum average annual ambient concentrations are estimated at 54.27 ± 4.12 μ g / m 3 and 0.54 ± 0.041 μ g / m 3 for NH 3 and H 2 S , respectively. Our descriptive analysis reveals that people of low income, people of color, people with low educational attainment, and the linguistically isolated in the Duplin Region are disproportionately exposed to higher levels of pollutants than the average exposure for residents. Alternatively, our statistical results suggests that after adjusting for covariates, communities of color are associated with 1.70% (95% CI: - 3.79 , 0.44) lower NH 3 concentrations per 1-SD increase. One-standard deviation increases in the adults with low educational attainment and children < 19 years of age is associated with 1.26% (95% CI: - 0.77 , 3.33) and 1.20% (95% CI: - 0.62 , 3.05) higher NH 3 exposure per 1-SD increase, respectively. DISCUSSION Exposures to NH 3 and H 2 S differed by race and ethnicity, educational attainment, language proficiency, and socioeconomic status. The observed associations between exposure to CAFO-generated pollutants and sociodemographic indicators differed among demographics. The disproportionate distribution of hog facilities and resulting pollutant exposures among communities may have adverse environmental and human health impacts, raising environmental justice concerns. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11344.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon M. Lewis
- Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- School of Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - William H. Battye
- Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Viney P. Aneja
- Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Honghyok Kim
- School of Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Michelle L. Bell
- School of Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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23
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Vos S, De Waele E, Goeminne P, Bijnens EM, Bongaerts E, Martens DS, Malina R, Ameloot M, Dams K, De Weerdt A, Dewyspelaere G, Jacobs R, Mistiaen G, Jorens P, Nawrot TS. Pre-admission ambient air pollution and blood soot particles predict hospitalisation outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Eur Respir J 2023; 62:2300309. [PMID: 37343978 PMCID: PMC10288811 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00309-2023] [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: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution exposure is one of the major risk factors for aggravation of respiratory diseases. We investigated whether exposure to air pollution and accumulated black carbon (BC) particles in blood were associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease severity, including the risk for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and duration of hospitalisation. METHODS From May 2020 until March 2021, 328 hospitalised COVID-19 patients (29% at intensive care) were recruited from two hospitals in Belgium. Daily exposure levels (from 2016 to 2019) for particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm and <10 µm (PM2.5 and PM10, respectively), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and BC were modelled using a high-resolution spatiotemporal model. Blood BC particles (internal exposure to nano-sized particles) were quantified using pulsed laser illumination. Primary clinical parameters and outcomes included duration of hospitalisation and risk of ICU admission. RESULTS Independent of potential confounders, an interquartile range (IQR) increase in exposure in the week before admission was associated with increased duration of hospitalisation (PM2.5 +4.13 (95% CI 0.74-7.53) days, PM10 +4.04 (95% CI 1.24-6.83) days and NO2 +4.54 (95% CI 1.53-7.54) days); similar effects were observed for long-term NO2 and BC exposure on hospitalisation duration. These effect sizes for an IQR increase in air pollution on hospitalisation duration were equivalent to the effect of a 10-year increase in age on hospitalisation duration. Furthermore, for an IQR higher blood BC load, the OR for ICU admission was 1.33 (95% CI 1.07-1.65). CONCLUSIONS In hospitalised COVID-19 patients, higher pre-admission ambient air pollution and blood BC levels predicted adverse outcomes. Our findings imply that air pollution exposure influences COVID-19 severity and therefore the burden on medical care systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stijn Vos
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- S. Vos and E. De Waele contributed equally
| | - Elien De Waele
- Hospital VITAZ Sint-Niklaas, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
- S. Vos and E. De Waele contributed equally
| | | | - Esmée M Bijnens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Open University, Heerlen, The Netherlands
| | - Eva Bongaerts
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Dries S Martens
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Robert Malina
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Marcel Ameloot
- Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Karolien Dams
- Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp (LEMP), Edegem, Belgium
| | - Annick De Weerdt
- Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp (LEMP), Edegem, Belgium
| | | | - Rita Jacobs
- Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp (LEMP), Edegem, Belgium
| | | | - Philippe Jorens
- Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp (LEMP), Edegem, Belgium
| | - Tim S Nawrot
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Zhang J, Lim YH, So R, Jørgensen JT, Mortensen LH, Napolitano GM, Cole-Hunter T, Loft S, Bhatt S, Hoek G, Brunekreef B, Westendorp R, Ketzel M, Brandt J, Lange T, Kølsen-Fisher T, Andersen ZJ. Long-term exposure to air pollution and risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 hospitalisation or death: Danish nationwide cohort study. Eur Respir J 2023; 62:2300280. [PMID: 37343976 PMCID: PMC10288813 DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00280-2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early ecological studies have suggested links between air pollution and risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but evidence from individual-level cohort studies is still sparse. We examined whether long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with risk of COVID-19 and who is most susceptible. METHODS We followed 3 721 810 Danish residents aged ≥30 years on 1 March 2020 in the National COVID-19 Surveillance System until the date of first positive test (incidence), COVID-19 hospitalisation or death until 26 April 2021. We estimated residential annual mean particulate matter with diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), black carbon (BC) and ozone (O3) in 2019 by the Danish DEHM/UBM model, and used Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate the associations of air pollutants with COVID-19 outcomes, adjusting for age, sex, individual- and area-level socioeconomic status, and population density. RESULTS 138 742 individuals were infected, 11 270 were hospitalised and 2557 died from COVID-19 during 14 months. We detected associations of PM2.5 (per 0.53 μg·m-3) and NO2 (per 3.59 μg·m-3) with COVID-19 incidence (hazard ratio (HR) 1.10 (95% CI 1.05-1.14) and HR 1.18 (95% CI 1.14-1.23), respectively), hospitalisations (HR 1.09 (95% CI 1.01-1.17) and HR 1.19 (95% CI 1.12-1.27), respectively) and death (HR 1.23 (95% CI 1.04-1.44) and HR 1.18 (95% CI 1.03-1.34), respectively), which were strongest in the lowest socioeconomic groups and among patients with chronic respiratory, cardiometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. We found positive associations with BC and negative associations with O3. CONCLUSION Long-term exposure to air pollution may contribute to increased risk of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection as well as developing severe COVID-19 disease requiring hospitalisation or resulting in death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Zhang
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Youn-Hee Lim
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rina So
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jeanette T Jørgensen
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Laust H Mortensen
- Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Statistics Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - George M Napolitano
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Cole-Hunter
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Steffen Loft
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Samir Bhatt
- Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Jameel Institute, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Gerard Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bert Brunekreef
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Rudi Westendorp
- Section of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matthias Ketzel
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Jørgen Brandt
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
- iCLIMATE, Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Theis Lange
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thea Kølsen-Fisher
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Research, Nordsjaellands Hospital, Hilleroed, Denmark
| | - Zorana Jovanovic Andersen
- Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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25
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Gupta P, Jangid A, Kumar R. COVID-19-associated 2020 lockdown: a study on atmospheric black carbon fall impact on human health. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2023; 45:3507-3520. [PMID: 36367602 PMCID: PMC9650661 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-022-01430-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The mean mass concentrations of black carbon (BC), biomass burning (BC)bb, and fossil fuel combustion (BC)ff have been estimated during March-May 2020 (during the COVID-19 outbreak) and March-May 2019 at a semiarid region of Agra over the Indo-Gangetic basin region. The daily mean mass concentration of BC in 2020 and 2019 was 3.9 and 6.9 µg m-3, respectively. The high monthly mean mass concentration of BC was found to be 4.7, 3.4 and 3.3 µg m-3 in Mar-2020, Apr-2020, and May-2020, respectively, whereas in Mar-2019, Apr-2019, and May-2019 was 7.7, 7.5 and 5.4 µg m-3, respectively. The absorption coefficient (babs) and absorption angstrom exponent (AAE) of black carbon were calculated. The highest mean AAE was 1.6 in the year 2020 (Mar-May 2020) indicating the dominance of biomass burning. The mean mass concentration of fossil fuel (BC)ff and biomass burning (BC)bb is 3.4 and 0.51 µg m-3, respectively, in 2020 whereas 6.4 and 0.73 µg m-3, respectively, in 2019. The mean fraction contribution of BC with fossil fuel (BC)ff was 82.1 ± 13.5% and biomass burning (BC)bb was 17.9 ± 4.3% in 2020, while in 2019, fossil fuel (BC)ff was 86.7 ± 13.5% and biomass burning (BC)bb was 13.3 ± 6.7%. The population-weighted mean concentration of BC, fossil fuel (BC)ff, and biomass burning (BC)bb has been calculated. The health risk assessment of BC has been analyzed in the form of attributable relative risk factors and attributed relative risk during the COVID-19 outbreak using AirQ + v.2.0 model. The attributable relative risk factors of BC were 20.6% in 2020 and 29.4% in 2019. The mean attributed relative risk per 10,000,000 populations at 95% confidence interval (CI) due to BC was 184.06 (142.6-225.2) in 2020 and 609.06 (418.3-714.6) in 2019. The low attributed factor and attributed relative risk in 2020 may be attributed to improvements in air quality and a fall in the emission of BC. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the whole country faced the biggest lockdown, ban of the transportation of private vehicles, trains, aircraft, and construction activities, and shut down of the industry leading to a fall in the impact of BC on human health. Overall, this was like a blessing in disguise. This study will help in future planning of mitigation and emission control of air pollutants in large and BC in particular. It only needs a multipronged approach. This study may be like torch bearing to set path for mitigation of impacts of air pollution and improvement of air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratima Gupta
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed University), Dayalbagh, Agra-5, India.
| | - Ashok Jangid
- Department of Physics and Computer Science, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed University), Dayalbagh, Agra-5, India
| | - Ranjit Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Dayalbagh Educational Institute (Deemed University), Dayalbagh, Agra-5, India
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Ranzani O, Alari A, Olmos S, Milà C, Rico A, Ballester J, Basagaña X, Chaccour C, Dadvand P, Duarte-Salles T, Foraster M, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Sunyer J, Valentín A, Kogevinas M, Lazcano U, Avellaneda-Gómez C, Vivanco R, Tonne C. Long-term exposure to air pollution and severe COVID-19 in Catalonia: a population-based cohort study. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2916. [PMID: 37225741 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38469-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and severe COVID-19 is uncertain. We followed 4,660,502 adults from the general population in 2020 in Catalonia, Spain. Cox proportional models were fit to evaluate the association between annual averages of PM2.5, NO2, BC, and O3 at each participant's residential address and severe COVID-19. Higher exposure to PM2.5, NO2, and BC was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 hospitalization, ICU admission, death, and hospital length of stay. An increase of 3.2 µg/m3 of PM2.5 was associated with a 19% (95% CI, 16-21) increase in hospitalizations. An increase of 16.1 µg/m3 of NO2 was associated with a 42% (95% CI, 30-55) increase in ICU admissions. An increase of 0.7 µg/m3 of BC was associated with a 6% (95% CI, 0-13) increase in deaths. O3 was positively associated with severe outcomes when adjusted by NO2. Our study contributes robust evidence that long-term exposure to air pollutants is associated with severe COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otavio Ranzani
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Anna Alari
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergio Olmos
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carles Milà
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alex Rico
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Joan Ballester
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Basagaña
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Chaccour
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Payam Dadvand
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Talita Duarte-Salles
- Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Foraster
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- PHAGEX Research Group, Blanquerna School of Health Science, Universitat Ramon Llull (URL), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Antònia Valentín
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manolis Kogevinas
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Uxue Lazcano
- Instituto Biodonostia, Grupo Atención Primaria, San Sebastian, Spain
- Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Rosa Vivanco
- Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cathryn Tonne
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain.
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
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27
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Feng B, Wang W, Zhou B, Zhou Y, Wang J, Liao F. Mapping the long-term associations between air pollutants and COVID-19 risks and the attributable burdens in the continental United States. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 324:121418. [PMID: 36898647 PMCID: PMC9994533 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Numerous studies have investigated the associations between COVID-19 risks and long-term exposure to air pollutants, revealing considerable heterogeneity and even contradictory regional results. Studying the spatial heterogeneity of the associations is essential for developing region-specific and cost-effective air-pollutant-related public health policies for the prevention and control of COVID-19. However, few studies have investigated this issue. Using the USA as an example, we constructed single/two-pollutant conditional autoregressions with random coefficients and random intercepts to map the associations between five air pollutants (PM2.5, O3, SO2, NO2, and CO) and two COVID-19 outcomes (incidence and mortality) at the state level. The attributed cases and deaths were then mapped at the county level. This study included 3108 counties from 49 states within the continental USA. The county-level air pollutant concentrations from 2017 to 2019 were used as long-term exposures, and the county-level cumulative COVID-19 cases and deaths through May 13, 2022, were used as outcomes. Results showed that considerably heterogeneous associations and attributable COVID-19 burdens were found in the USA. The COVID-19 outcomes in the western and northeastern states appeared to be unaffected by any of the five pollutants. The east of the USA bore the greatest COVID-19 burdens attributable to air pollution because of its high pollutant concentrations and significantly positive associations. PM2.5 and CO were significantly positively associated with COVID-19 incidence in 49 states on average, whereas NO2 and SO2 were significantly positively associated with COVID-19 mortality. The remaining associations between air pollutants and COVID-19 outcomes were not statistically significant. Our study provided implications regarding where a major concern should be placed on a specific air pollutant for COVID-19 control and prevention, as well as where and how to conduct additional individual-based validation research in a cost-effective manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benying Feng
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, 610072, China; Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610072, China
| | - Wei Wang
- West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, 610072, China; Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610072, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, 610072, China; Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610072, China
| | - Jinyu Wang
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, 610072, China; Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610072, China
| | - Fang Liao
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu, 610072, China; Key Laboratory of Psychosomatic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chengdu, 610072, China.
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28
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Stafoggia M, Ranzi A, Ancona C, Bauleo L, Bella A, Cattani G, Nobile F, Pezzotti P, Iavarone I. Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution and Mortality among Four Million COVID-19 Cases in Italy: The EpiCovAir Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:57004. [PMID: 37167483 PMCID: PMC10174641 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of chronic exposure to ambient air pollutants in increasing COVID-19 fatality is still unclear. OBJECTIVES The study aimed to investigate the association between long-term exposure to air pollutants and mortality among 4 million COVID-19 cases in Italy. METHODS We obtained individual records of all COVID-19 cases identified in Italy from February 2020 to June 2021. We assigned 2016-2019 mean concentrations of particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter ≤10μm (PM10), PM with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5μm (PM2.5), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to each municipality (n=7,800) as estimates of chronic exposures. We applied a principal component analysis (PCA) and a generalized propensity score (GPS) approach to an extensive list of area-level covariates to account for major determinants of the spatial distribution of COVID-19 case-fatality rates. Then, we applied generalized negative binomial models matched on GPS, age, sex, province, and month. As additional analyses, we fit separate models by pandemic periods, age, and sex; we quantified the numbers of COVID-19 deaths attributable to exceedances in annual air pollutant concentrations above predefined thresholds; and we explored associations between air pollution and alternative outcomes of COVID-19 severity, namely hospitalizations or accesses to intensive care units. RESULTS We analyzed 3,995,202 COVID-19 cases, which generated 124,346 deaths. Overall, case-fatality rates increased by 0.7% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.5%, 0.9%], 0.3% (95% CI: 0.2%, 0.5%), and 0.6% (95% CI: 0.5%, 0.8%) per 1 μg/m3 increment in PM2.5, PM10, and NO2, respectively. Associations were higher among elderly subjects and during the first (February 2020-June 2020) and the third (December 2020-June 2021) pandemic waves. We estimated ∼8% COVID-19 deaths were attributable to pollutant levels above the World Health Organization 2021 air quality guidelines. DISCUSSION We found suggestive evidence of an association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants with mortality among 4 million COVID-19 cases in Italy. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11882.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Stafoggia
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Region Health Service/ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Ranzi
- Environmental Health Reference Centre, Regional Agency for Environmental Prevention of Emilia-Romagna, Modena, Italy
| | - Carla Ancona
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Region Health Service/ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Lisa Bauleo
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Region Health Service/ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giorgio Cattani
- Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Nobile
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Region Health Service/ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
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29
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Bhaskar A, Chandra J, Hashemi H, Butler K, Bennett L, Cellini J, Braun D, Dominici F. A Literature Review of the Effects of Air Pollution on COVID-19 Health Outcomes Worldwide: Statistical Challenges and Data Visualization. Annu Rev Public Health 2023; 44:1-20. [PMID: 36542771 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-071521-120424] [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: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Several peer-reviewed papers and reviews have examined the relationship between exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 spread and severity. However, many of the existing reviews on this topic do not extensively present the statistical challenges associated with this field, do not provide comprehensive guidelines for future researchers, and review only the results of a relatively small number of papers. We reviewed 139 papers, 127 of which reported a statistically significant positive association between air pollution and adverse COVID-19 health outcomes. Here, we summarize the evidence, describe the statistical challenges, and make recommendations for future research. To summarize the 139 papers with data from geographical locations around the world, we also present anopen-source data visualization tool that summarizes these studies and allows the research community to contribute evidence as new research papers are published.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bhaskar
- Department of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - J Chandra
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - H Hashemi
- Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, California, USA
| | - K Butler
- Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, California, USA
| | - L Bennett
- Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, California, USA
| | - Jacqueline Cellini
- Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Danielle Braun
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
- Department of Data Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Francesca Dominici
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
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30
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Kogevinas M, Karachaliou M, Espinosa A, Aguilar R, Castaño-Vinyals G, Garcia-Aymerich J, Carreras A, Cortés B, Pleguezuelos V, Papantoniou K, Rubio R, Jiménez A, Vidal M, Serra P, Parras D, Santamaría P, Izquierdo L, Cirach M, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Dadvand P, Straif K, Moncunill G, de Cid R, Dobaño C, Tonne C. Long-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and COVID-19 Vaccine Antibody Response in a General Population Cohort (COVICAT Study, Catalonia). ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:47001. [PMID: 37017430 PMCID: PMC10075082 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ambient air pollution has been associated with COVID-19 disease severity and antibody response induced by infection. OBJECTIVES We examined the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and vaccine-induced antibody response. METHODS This study was nested in an ongoing population-based cohort, COVICAT, the GCAT-Genomes for Life cohort, in Catalonia, Spain, with multiple follow-ups. We drew blood samples in 2021 from 1,090 participants of 2,404 who provided samples in 2020, and we included 927 participants in this analysis. We measured immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgG, and IgA antibodies against five viral-target antigens, including receptor-binding domain (RBD), spike-protein (S), and segment spike-protein (S2) triggered by vaccines available in Spain. We estimated prepandemic (2018-2019) exposure to fine particulate matter [PM ≤2.5μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5)], nitrogen dioxide (NO2), black carbon (BC), and ozone (O3) using Effects of Low-Level Air Pollution: A Study in Europe (ELAPSE) models. We adjusted estimates for individual- and area-level covariates, time since vaccination, and vaccine doses and type and stratified by infection status. We used generalized additive models to explore the relationship between air pollution and antibodies according to days since vaccination. RESULTS Among vaccinated persons not infected by SARS-CoV-2 (n=632), higher prepandemic air pollution levels were associated with a lower vaccine antibody response for IgM (1 month post vaccination) and IgG. Percentage change in geometric mean IgG levels per interquartile range of PM2.5 (1.7 μg/m3) were -8.1 (95% CI: -15.9, 0.4) for RBD, -9.9 (-16.2, -3.1) for S, and -8.4 (-13.5, -3.0) for S2. We observed a similar pattern for NO2 and BC and an inverse pattern for O3. Differences in IgG levels by air pollution levels persisted with time since vaccination. We did not observe an association of air pollution with vaccine antibody response among participants with prior infection (n=295). DISCUSSION Exposure to air pollution was associated with lower COVID-19 vaccine antibody response. The implications of this association on the risk of breakthrough infections require further investigation. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11989.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manolis Kogevinas
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Ana Espinosa
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ruth Aguilar
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Castaño-Vinyals
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Judith Garcia-Aymerich
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Carreras
- Genomes for Life-GCAT lab Group, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Cortés
- Genomes for Life-GCAT lab Group, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
| | | | - Kyriaki Papantoniou
- Department of Epidemiology, Center of Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rocío Rubio
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alfons Jiménez
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Vidal
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pau Serra
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Parras
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pere Santamaría
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Luis Izquierdo
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Cirach
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Payam Dadvand
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Kurt Straif
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Moncunill
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael de Cid
- Genomes for Life-GCAT lab Group, Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, Badalona, Spain
| | - Carlota Dobaño
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cathryn Tonne
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
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Mathieu ME, Gray J, Richmond-Bryant J. Spatial associations of long-term exposure to diesel particulate matter with seasonal and annual mortality due to COVID-19 in the contiguous United States. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:423. [PMID: 36869295 PMCID: PMC9982169 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15064-5] [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: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with certain underlying respiratory and cardiovascular conditions might be at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) exposure may affect the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. The study aims to assess if DPM was spatially associated with COVID-19 mortality rates across three waves of the disease and throughout 2020. METHODS We tested an ordinary least squares (OLS) model, then two global models, a spatial lag model (SLM) and a spatial error model (SEM) designed to explore spatial dependence, and a geographically weighted regression (GWR) model designed to explore local associations between COVID-19 mortality rates and DPM exposure, using data from the 2018 AirToxScreen database. RESULTS The GWR model found that associations between COVID-19 mortality rate and DPM concentrations may increase up to 77 deaths per 100,000 people in some US counties for every interquartile range (0.21 μg/m3) increase in DPM concentration. Significant positive associations between mortality rate and DPM were observed in New York, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and western Connecticut for the wave from January to May, and in southern Florida and southern Texas for June to September. The period from October to December exhibited a negative association in most parts of the US, which seems to have influenced the year-long relationship due to the large number of deaths during that wave of the disease. CONCLUSIONS Our models provided a picture in which long-term DPM exposure may have influenced COVID-19 mortality during the early stages of the disease. That influence appears to have waned over time as transmission patterns evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine Elisabeth Mathieu
- Center for Geospatial Analytics, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, 2800 Faucette Drive, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8008, USA
| | - Joshua Gray
- Center for Geospatial Analytics, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, 2800 Faucette Drive, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8008, USA
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8008, USA
| | - Jennifer Richmond-Bryant
- Center for Geospatial Analytics, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, 2800 Faucette Drive, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8008, USA.
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8008, USA.
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Naqvi HR, Mutreja G, Shakeel A, Singh K, Abbas K, Naqvi DF, Chaudhary AA, Siddiqui MA, Gautam AS, Gautam S, Naqvi AR. Wildfire-induced pollution and its short-term impact on COVID-19 cases and mortality in California. GONDWANA RESEARCH : INTERNATIONAL GEOSCIENCE JOURNAL 2023; 114:30-39. [PMID: 35529075 PMCID: PMC9066963 DOI: 10.1016/j.gr.2022.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Globally, wildfires have seen remarkable increase in duration and size and have become a health hazard. In addition to vegetation and habitat destruction, rapid release of smoke, dust and gaseous pollutants in the atmosphere contributes to its short and long-term detrimental effects. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as a public health concern worldwide that primarily target lungs and respiratory tract, akin to air pollutants. Studies from our lab and others have demonstrated association between air pollution and COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. However, current knowledge on the impact of wildfire-mediated sudden outburst of air pollutants on COVID-19 is limited. In this study, we examined the association of air pollutants and COVID-19 during wildfires burned during August-October 2020 in California, United States. We observed an increase in the tropospheric pollutants including aerosols (particulate matter [PM]), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by approximately 150%, 100% and 20%, respectively, in 2020 compared to the 2019. Except ozone (O3), similar proportion of increment was noticed during the peak wildfire period (August 16 - September 15, 2020) in the ground PM2.5, CO, and NO2 levels at Fresno, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco, cities with largest active wildfire area. We identified three different spikes in the concentrations of PM2.5, and CO for the cities examined clearly suggesting wildfire-induced surge in air pollution. Fresno and Sacramento showed increment in the ground PM2.5, CO and NO2 levels, while San Diego recorded highest change rate in NO2 levels. Interestingly, we observed a similar pattern of higher COVID-19 cases and mortalities in the cities with adverse air pollution caused by wildfires. These findings provide a logical rationale to strategize public health policies for future impact of COVID-19 on humans residing in geographic locations susceptible to sudden increase in local air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Raja Naqvi
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Guneet Mutreja
- Environmental Systems Research Institute, R & D Center, New Delhi, India
| | - Adnan Shakeel
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Karan Singh
- Department of Physics, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Kumail Abbas
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Meerut Institute of Engineering and Technology, Meerut 250005, India
| | | | - Anis Ahmad Chaudhary
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 13317-7544, Saudi Arabia
| | - Masood Ahsan Siddiqui
- Department of Geography, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Alok Sagar Gautam
- Department of Physics, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Sneha Gautam
- Department of Civil Engineering, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Karunya Nagar, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641114, India
| | - Afsar Raza Naqvi
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Chen K, Klompmaker JO, Roscoe CJ, Nguyen LH, Drew DA, James P, Laden F, Fecht D, Wang W, Gulliver J, Wolf J, Steves CJ, Spector TD, Chan AT, Hart JE. Associations between greenness and predicted COVID-19-like illness incidence in the United States and the United Kingdom. Environ Epidemiol 2023; 7:e244. [PMID: 36788976 PMCID: PMC9916094 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Green spaces may be protective against COVID-19 incidence. They may provide outdoor, ventilated, settings for physical and social activities and therefore decrease transmission risk. We examined the association between neighborhood greenness and COVID-19-like illness incidence using individual-level data. Methods The study population includes participants enrolled in the COVID Symptom Study smartphone application in the United Kingdom and the United States (March-November 2020). All participants were encouraged to report their current health condition and suspected risk factors for COVID-19. We used a validated symptom-based classifier that predicts COVID-19-like illness. We estimated the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), for each participant's reported neighborhood of residence for each month, using images from Landsat 8 (30 m2). We used time-varying Cox proportional hazards models stratified by age, country, and calendar month at study entry and adjusted for the individual- and neighborhood-level risk factors. Results We observed 143,340 cases of predicted COVID-19-like illness among 2,794,029 participants. Neighborhood NDVI was associated with a decreased risk of predicted COVID-19-like illness incidence in the fully adjusted model (hazard ratio = 0.965, 95% confidence interval = 0.960, 0.970, per 0.1 NDVI increase). Stratified analyses showed protective associations among U.K. participants but not among U.S. participants. Associations were slightly stronger for White individuals, for individuals living in rural neighborhoods, and for individuals living in high-income neighborhoods compared to individuals living in low-income neighborhoods. Conclusions Higher levels of greenness may reduce the risk of predicted COVID-19-like illness incidence, but these associations were not observed in all populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Chen
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jochem O. Klompmaker
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Charlotte J. Roscoe
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Long H. Nguyen
- Clinical & Translational Epidemiology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - David A. Drew
- Clinical & Translational Epidemiology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Peter James
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Francine Laden
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Daniela Fecht
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Weiyi Wang
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - John Gulliver
- Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability, George Davies Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | | | - Claire J. Steves
- Kings College Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tim D. Spector
- Kings College Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andy T. Chan
- Clinical & Translational Epidemiology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jaime E. Hart
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Krenz K, Dhanani A, McEachan RRC, Sohal K, Wright J, Vaughan L. Linking the Urban Environment and Health: An Innovative Methodology for Measuring Individual-Level Environmental Exposures. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1953. [PMID: 36767317 PMCID: PMC9915172 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Environmental exposures (EE) are increasingly recognised as important determinants of health and well-being. Understanding the influences of EE on health is critical for effective policymaking, but better-quality spatial data is needed. This article outlines the theoretical and technical foundations used for the construction of individual-level environmental exposure measurements for the population of a northern English city, Bradford. The work supports 'Connected Bradford', an entire population database linking health, education, social care, environmental and other local government data over a period of forty years. We argue that our current understanding of environmental effects on health outcomes is limited both by methodological shortcomings in the quantification of the environment and by a lack of consistency in the measurement of built environment features. To address these shortcomings, we measure the environmental exposure for a series of different domains including air quality, greenspace and greenness, public transport, walkability, traffic, buildings and the built form, street centrality, land-use intensity, and food environments as well as indoor dwelling qualities. We utilise general practitioners' historical patient information to identify the precise geolocation and duration of a person's residence. We model a person's local neighbourhood, and the probable routes to key urban functions aggregated across the city. We outline the specific geospatial procedure used to quantify the environmental exposure for each domain and use the example of exposure to fast-food outlets to illustrate the methodological challenges in the creation of city and nationwide environmental exposure databases. The proposed EE measures will enable critical research into the relationship and causal links between the built environment and health, informing planning and policy-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimon Krenz
- The Bartlett School of Architecture, Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London, London WC1H 0QB, UK
| | - Ashley Dhanani
- The Bartlett School of Architecture, Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London, London WC1H 0QB, UK
| | - Rosemary R. C. McEachan
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford BD9 6RJ, UK
| | - Kuldeep Sohal
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford BD9 6RJ, UK
| | - John Wright
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford BD9 6RJ, UK
| | - Laura Vaughan
- The Bartlett School of Architecture, Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London, London WC1H 0QB, UK
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Mathys T, Souza FTD, Barcellos DDS, Molderez I. The relationship among air pollution, meteorological factors and COVID-19 in the Brussels Capital Region. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:158933. [PMID: 36179850 PMCID: PMC9514957 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158933] [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: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
In great metropoles, there is a need for a better understanding of the spread of COVID-19 in an outdoor context with environmental parameters. Many studies on this topic have been carried out worldwide. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding the influence of environmental variables on the transmission, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19, even though there are plausible scientific explanations that support this, especially air quality and meteorological factors. Different urban contexts, methodological approaches and even the limitations of ecological studies are some possible explanations for this issue. That is why methodological experimentations in different regions of the world are important so that scientific knowledge can advance in this aspect. This research analyses the relationship between air pollution, meteorological factors and COVID-19 in the Brussels Capital Region. We use a data mining approach that is capable of extracting patterns in large databases with diverse taxonomies. Data on air pollution, meteorological, and epidemiological variables were processed in time series for the multivariate analysis and the classification based on association. The environmental variables associated with COVID-19-related deaths, cases and hospitalization were PM2.5, O3, NO2, black carbon, radiation, air pressure, wind speed, dew point, temperature and precipitation. These environmental variables combined with epidemiological factors were able to predict intervals of hospitalization, cases and deaths from COVID-19. These findings confirm the influence of meteorological and air quality variables in the Brussels region on deaths and cases of COVID-19 and can guide public policies and provide useful insights for high-level governmental decision-making concerning COVID-19. However, it is necessary to consider intrinsic elements of this study that may have influenced our results, such as the use of air quality aggregated data, ecological fallacy, focus on acute effects in the time-series study, the underreporting of COVID-19, and the lack of behavioral factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Mathys
- Centre for Economics and Corporate Sustainability (CEDON), KU Leuven, Warmoesberg 26, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Fábio Teodoro de Souza
- Centre for Economics and Corporate Sustainability (CEDON), KU Leuven, Warmoesberg 26, Brussels, Belgium; Graduate Program in Urban Management (PPGTU), Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR), 1155 Imaculada Conceição St, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil.
| | - Demian da Silveira Barcellos
- Graduate Program in Urban Management (PPGTU), Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR), 1155 Imaculada Conceição St, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil.
| | - Ingrid Molderez
- Centre for Economics and Corporate Sustainability (CEDON), KU Leuven, Warmoesberg 26, Brussels, Belgium.
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Ranzani CDM, Silva SC, Hino P, Taminato M, Okuno MFP, Fernandes H. Profile and characteristics of violence against older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem 2023; 31:e3825. [PMID: 36722639 PMCID: PMC9886078 DOI: 10.1590/1518-8345.6220.3825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE to identify the sociodemographic profile and the characteristics of interpersonal violence against older adults during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in a capital city from the Brazilian Southeast region. METHOD a descriptive and exploratory research study with a cross-sectional design based on the notifications of suspected or confirmed cases of violence against older adults between March 2020 and March 2021. A univariate statistical analysis and Fisher's exact test (p<0.05) were performed. RESULTS a total of 2,681 notifications were recorded during the period. The main victims were individuals aged between 60 and 64 years old, female, white-skinned and with low schooling levels. The instances of violence were more frequent in the victims' homes. Physical and psychological violence predominated, through physical force/beatings and threats, respectively. Most of the aggressors were male, younger than the victims and generally their children or intimate partners. The aggressions were perpetrated more than once and were driven by generational conflicts. There was low referral to entities for the protection of older adults. CONCLUSION the sociodemographic profile found evidences vulnerable victims, subjected to many types of violence, and at a potential risk against their overall health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Cirillo Silva
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Enfermagem, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.,Scholarship holder at the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Brazil
| | - Paula Hino
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Enfermagem, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mônica Taminato
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Enfermagem, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Hugo Fernandes
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Enfermagem, São Paulo, SP, Brazil., Hugo Fernandes E-mail:
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Nottmeyer L, Armstrong B, Lowe R, Abbott S, Meakin S, O'Reilly KM, von Borries R, Schneider R, Royé D, Hashizume M, Pascal M, Tobias A, Vicedo-Cabrera AM, Lavigne E, Correa PM, Ortega NV, Kynčl J, Urban A, Orru H, Ryti N, Jaakkola J, Dallavalle M, Schneider A, Honda Y, Ng CFS, Alahmad B, Carrasco-Escobar G, Holobâc IH, Kim H, Lee W, Íñiguez C, Bell ML, Zanobetti A, Schwartz J, Scovronick N, Coélho MDSZS, Saldiva PHN, Diaz MH, Gasparrini A, Sera F. The association of COVID-19 incidence with temperature, humidity, and UV radiation - A global multi-city analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 854:158636. [PMID: 36087670 PMCID: PMC9450475 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM The associations between COVID-19 transmission and meteorological factors are scientifically debated. Several studies have been conducted worldwide, with inconsistent findings. However, often these studies had methodological issues, e.g., did not exclude important confounding factors, or had limited geographic or temporal resolution. Our aim was to quantify associations between temporal variations in COVID-19 incidence and meteorological variables globally. METHODS We analysed data from 455 cities across 20 countries from 3 February to 31 October 2020. We used a time-series analysis that assumes a quasi-Poisson distribution of the cases and incorporates distributed lag non-linear modelling for the exposure associations at the city-level while considering effects of autocorrelation, long-term trends, and day of the week. The confounding by governmental measures was accounted for by incorporating the Oxford Governmental Stringency Index. The effects of daily mean air temperature, relative and absolute humidity, and UV radiation were estimated by applying a meta-regression of local estimates with multi-level random effects for location, country, and climatic zone. RESULTS We found that air temperature and absolute humidity influenced the spread of COVID-19 over a lag period of 15 days. Pooling the estimates globally showed that overall low temperatures (7.5 °C compared to 17.0 °C) and low absolute humidity (6.0 g/m3 compared to 11.0 g/m3) were associated with higher COVID-19 incidence (RR temp =1.33 with 95%CI: 1.08; 1.64 and RR AH =1.33 with 95%CI: 1.12; 1.57). RH revealed no significant trend and for UV some evidence of a positive association was found. These results were robust to sensitivity analysis. However, the study results also emphasise the heterogeneity of these associations in different countries. CONCLUSION Globally, our results suggest that comparatively low temperatures and low absolute humidity were associated with increased risks of COVID-19 incidence. However, this study underlines regional heterogeneity of weather-related effects on COVID-19 transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luise Nottmeyer
- Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Ben Armstrong
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Rachel Lowe
- Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain; Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sam Abbott
- Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Sophie Meakin
- Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Kathleen M O'Reilly
- Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Rochelle Schneider
- Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Φ-Lab, European Space Agency, Frascati, Italy; European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF), Reading, UK
| | - Dominic Royé
- Department of Geography, University of Santiago de Compostela, CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Masahiro Hashizume
- Department of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Japan; School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Japan; Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mathilde Pascal
- Santé Publique France, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, French National Public Health Agency, Saint Maurice, France
| | - Aurelio Tobias
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Japan; Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Maria Vicedo-Cabrera
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eric Lavigne
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | | | | | - Jan Kynčl
- Department of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Aleš Urban
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hans Orru
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Niilo Ryti
- Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research (CERH), University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu (MRC Oulu), Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jouni Jaakkola
- Center for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research (CERH), University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu (MRC Oulu), Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Marco Dallavalle
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany; Department of Epidemiology, Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Medical Faculty, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexandra Schneider
- Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Yasushi Honda
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Japan; Center for Climate Change Adaptation, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan; Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Chris Fook Sheng Ng
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Japan; Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Barrak Alahmad
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, USA
| | - Gabriel Carrasco-Escobar
- Health Innovation Laboratory, Institute of Tropical Medicine "Alexander von Humboldt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Ho Kim
- Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Public Health & Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Whanhee Lee
- School of Biomedical Convergence Engineering, College of Information and Biomedical Engineering, Pusan National University, Yangsan, South Korea
| | - Carmen Íñiguez
- Department of Statistics and Computational Research, Universitat de València, València, Spain
| | - Michelle L Bell
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Antonella Zanobetti
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, USA
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, USA
| | - Noah Scovronick
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, USA
| | | | | | - Magali Hurtado Diaz
- Department of Environmental Health, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Antonio Gasparrini
- Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Centre on Climate Change and Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Centre for Statistical Methodology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Francesco Sera
- Department of Statistics, Computer Science and Applications "G. Parenti", University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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Beloconi A, Vounatsou P. Long-term air pollution exposure and COVID-19 case-severity: An analysis of individual-level data from Switzerland. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 216:114481. [PMID: 36206929 PMCID: PMC9531360 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114481] [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: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Several studies are pointing out that exposure to elevated air pollutants could contribute to increased COVID-19 mortality. However, literature on the associations between air pollution exposure and COVID-19 severe morbidity is rather sparse. In addition, the majority of the studies used an ecological study design and were applied in regions with rather high air pollution levels. Here, we study the differential effects of long-term exposure to air pollution on severe morbidity and mortality risks from COVID-19 in various population subgroups in Switzerland, a country known for clean air. We perform individual-level analyses using data covering the first two major waves of COVID-19 between February 2020 and May 2021. High-resolution maps of particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations were produced for the 6 years preceding the pandemic using Bayesian geostatistical models. Air pollution exposure for each patient was measured by the long-term average concentration across the municipality of residence. The models were adjusted for the effects of individual characteristics, socio-economic, health-system, and climatic factors. The variables with an important association to COVID-19 case-severity were identified using Bayesian spatial variable selection. The results have shown that the individual-level characteristics are important factors related to COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in all the models. Long-term exposure to air pollution appears to influence the severity of the disease only when analyzing data during the first wave; this effect is attenuated upon adjustment for health-system related factors during the entire study period. Our findings suggest that the burden of air pollution increased the risks of COVID-19 in Switzerland during the first wave of the pandemic, but not during the second wave, when the national health system was better prepared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Beloconi
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Penelope Vounatsou
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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D'Isidoro M, D'Elia I, Vitali L, Briganti G, Cappelletti A, Piersanti A, Finardi S, Calori G, Pepe N, Di Giosa A, Bolignano A, Zanini G. Lessons learnt for air pollution mitigation policies from the COVID-19 pandemic: The Italian perspective. ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH 2022; 13:101620. [PMID: 36474671 PMCID: PMC9716127 DOI: 10.1016/j.apr.2022.101620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Policies to improve air quality need to be based on effective plans for reducing anthropogenic emissions. In 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant reductions of anthropogenic pollutant emissions, offering an unexpected opportunity to observe their consequences on ambient concentrations. Taking the national lockdown occurred in Italy between March and May 2020 as a case study, this work tries to infer if and what lessons may be learnt concerning the impact of emission reduction policies on air quality. Variations of NO2, O3, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were calculated from numerical model simulations obtained with business as usual and lockdown specific emissions. Both simulations were performed at national level with a horizontal resolution of 4 km, and at local level on the capital city Rome at 1 km resolution. Simulated concentrations showed a good agreement with in-situ observations, confirming the modelling systems capability to reproduce the effects of emission reductions on ambient concentration variations, which differ according to the individual air pollutant. We found a general reduction of pollutant concentrations except for ozone, that experienced an increase in Rome and in the other urban areas, and a decrease elsewhere. The obtained results suggest that acting on precursor emissions, even with sharp reductions like those experienced during the lockdown, may lead to significant, albeit complex, reduction patterns for secondary pollutant concentrations. Therefore, to be more effective, reduction measures should be carefully selected, involving more sectors than those related to mobility, such as residential and agriculture, and integrated on different scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo D'Isidoro
- ENEA - Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Bologna, Italy
| | - Ilaria D'Elia
- ENEA - Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lina Vitali
- ENEA - Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Bologna, Italy
| | - Gino Briganti
- ENEA - Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Bologna, Italy
| | - Andrea Cappelletti
- ENEA - Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Bologna, Italy
| | - Antonio Piersanti
- ENEA - Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Bologna, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Andrea Bolignano
- ARPA-Lazio Environmental Protection Agency of the Lazio Region, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Zanini
- ENEA - Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Bologna, Italy
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Hernandez Carballo I, Bakola M, Stuckler D. The impact of air pollution on COVID-19 incidence, severity, and mortality: A systematic review of studies in Europe and North America. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 215:114155. [PMID: 36030916 PMCID: PMC9420033 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution is speculated to increase the risks of COVID-19 spread, severity, and mortality. OBJECTIVES We systematically reviewed studies investigating the relationship between air pollution and COVID-19 cases, non-fatal severity, and mortality in North America and Europe. METHODS We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for studies investigating the effects of harmful pollutants, including particulate matter with diameter ≤2.5 or 10 μm (PM2.5 or PM10), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO), on COVID-19 cases, severity, and deaths in Europe and North America through to June 19, 2021. Articles were included if they quantitatively measured the relationship between exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 health outcomes. RESULTS From 2,482 articles screened, we included 116 studies reporting 355 separate pollutant-COVID-19 estimates. Approximately half of all evaluations on incidence were positive and significant associations (52.7%); for mortality the corresponding figure was similar (48.1%), while for non-fatal severity this figure was lower (41.2%). Longer-term exposure to pollutants appeared more likely to be positively associated with COVID-19 incidence (63.8%). PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, and CO were most strongly positively associated with COVID-19 incidence, while PM2.5 and NO2 with COVID-19 deaths. All studies were observational and most exhibited high risk of confounding and outcome measurement bias. DISCUSSION Air pollution may be associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes. Future research is needed to better test the air pollution-COVID-19 hypothesis, particularly using more robust study designs and COVID-19 measures that are less prone to measurement error and by considering co-pollutant interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ireri Hernandez Carballo
- Department of Social and Political Sciences, Bocconi University, Milan, Lombardy, Italy; RFF-CMCC European Institute of Economics and the Environment, Centro Euro-Mediterraneo Sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Milan, Lombardy, Italy.
| | - Maria Bakola
- Research Unit for General Medicine and Primary Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Science, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - David Stuckler
- Department of Social and Political Sciences, Bocconi University, Milan, Lombardy, Italy; DONDENA Centre for Research on Social Dynamics and Public Policy, Bocconi University, Milan, Lombardy, Italy
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Koch S, Hoffmann C, Caseiro A, Ledebur M, Menk M, von Schneidemesser E. Air quality in Germany as a contributing factor to morbidity from COVID-19. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:113896. [PMID: 35841971 PMCID: PMC9277987 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been spreading in Germany since January 2020, with regional differences in incidence, morbidity, and mortality. Long-term exposure to air pollutants as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen monoxide (NO), ozone (O3), and particulate matter (<10 μm PM10, <2.5 μm PM2.5) has a negative impact on respiratory functions. We analyze the association between long-term air pollution and the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Germany. METHODS We conducted an observational study in Germany on county-level, investigating the association between long-term (2010-2019) air pollutant exposure (European Environment Agency, AirBase data set) and COVID-19 incidence, morbidity, and mortality rate during the first outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 (open source data Robert Koch Institute). We used negative binominal models, including adjustment for risk factors (age, sex, days since first COVID-19 case, population density, socio-economic and health parameters). RESULTS After adjustment for risk factors in the tri-pollutant model (NO2, O3, PM2.5) an increase of 1 μg/m³ NO2 was associated with an increase of the need for intensive care due to COVID-19 by 4.2% (95% CI 1.011-1.074), and mechanical ventilation by 4.6% (95% CI 1.010-1.084). A tendency towards an association of NO2 with COVID-19 incidence was indicated, as the results were just outside of the defined statistical significance (+1.6% (95% CI 1.000-1.032)). Long-term annual mean NO2 level ranged from 4.6 μg/m³ to 32 μg/m³. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that long-term NO2 exposure may have increased susceptibility for COVID-19 morbidity in Germany. The results demonstrate the need to reduce ambient air pollution to improve public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Koch
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Anaesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and Campus Charité Mitte, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Christina Hoffmann
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Diagnostic Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry, And Pathobiochemistry, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandre Caseiro
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V. (IASS), Berliner Strasse 130, 14467, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Marie Ledebur
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Anaesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and Campus Charité Mitte, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mario Menk
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Anaesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine, Campus Virchow-Klinikum and Campus Charité Mitte, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Erika von Schneidemesser
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V. (IASS), Berliner Strasse 130, 14467, Potsdam, Germany
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Kim H, Samet JM, Bell ML. Association between Short-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and COVID-19 Mortality: A Population-Based Case-Crossover Study Using Individual-Level Mortality Registry Confirmed by Medical Examiners. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:117006. [PMID: 36367781 PMCID: PMC9651183 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies have suggested links between ambient air pollution and coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) mortality, yet confirmation by well-designed epidemiological studies with individual data is needed. OBJECTIVES We aimed to examine whether short-term exposure to air pollution is associated with risk of mortality from COVID-19 for those infected with COVID-19. METHODS The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office reports individual-level data for deaths from COVID-19 that occur in its jurisdiction, which includes all confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Cook County, Illinois. Case-crossover analysis was conducted to estimate the associations of estimated short-term exposures to particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5μm (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) on the day of death and up to 21 d before death at location of death with COVID-19. A total of 7,462 deaths from COVID-19 that occurred up to 28 February 2021 were included in the final analysis. We adjusted for potential confounders by time-stratified case-crossover design and by covariate adjustments (i.e., time-invariant factors, meteorological factors, viral transmission, seasonality, and time trend). RESULTS Of the 7,462 case and 25,457 self-control days, almost all were days with exposure levels below the PM2.5 24-h National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) (35 μg/m3); 98.9% had O3 levels below the maximum 8-h NAAQS (35.7 μg/m3 or 70 parts per billion). An interquartile range (IQR) increase (5.2 μg/m3) in cumulative 3-wk PM2.5 exposure was associated with a 69.6% [95% confidence interval (CI): 34.6, 113.8] increase in risk of COVID-19 mortality. An IQR increase (8.2 μg/m3) in 3-d O3 exposure was associated with a 29.0% (95% CI: 9.9, 51.5) increase in risk of COVID-19 mortality. The associations differed by demographics or race/ethnicity. There was indication of modification of the associations by some comorbid conditions. DISCUSSION Short-term exposure to air pollution below the NAAQS may increase the mortality burden from COVID-19. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10836.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honghyok Kim
- Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jonathan M. Samet
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- Department of Environmental & Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Michelle L. Bell
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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English PB, Von Behren J, Balmes JR, Boscardin J, Carpenter C, Goldberg DE, Horiuchi S, Richardson M, Solomon G, Valle J, Reynolds P. Association between long-term exposure to particulate air pollution with SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 deaths in California, U.S.A. ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANCES 2022; 9:100270. [PMID: 35912397 PMCID: PMC9316717 DOI: 10.1016/j.envadv.2022.100270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have reported associations between air pollution and COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, but most have limited their exposure assessment to a large area, have not used individual-level variables, nor studied infections. We examined 3.1 million SARS-CoV-2 infections and 49,691 COVID-19 deaths that occurred in California from February 2020 to February 2021 to evaluate risks associated with long-term neighborhood concentrations of particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5). We obtained individual address data on SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 deaths and assigned 2000-2018 1km-1km gridded PM2.5 surfaces to census block groups. We included individual covariate data on age and sex, and census block data on race/ethnicity, air basin, Area Deprivation Index, and relevant comorbidities. Our analyses were based on generalized linear mixed models utilizing a Poisson distribution. Those living in the highest quintile of long-term PM2.5 exposure had risks of SARS-CoV-2 infections 20% higher and risks of COVID-19 mortality 51% higher, compared to those living in the lowest quintile of long-term PM2.5 exposure. Those living in the areas of highest long-term PM2.5 exposure were more likely to be Hispanic and more vulnerable, based on the Area Deprivation Index. The increased risks for SARS-CoV-2 Infections and COVID-19 mortality associated with highest long-term PM2.5 concentrations at the neighborhood-level in California were consistent with a growing body of literature from studies worldwide, and further highlight the importance of reducing levels of air pollution to protect public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul B English
- Tracking California Public Health Institute, 555 12th St., Suite 290, Oakland, CA 94607, United States
| | - Julie Von Behren
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - John R Balmes
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - John Boscardin
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Catherine Carpenter
- Tracking California Public Health Institute, 555 12th St., Suite 290, Oakland, CA 94607, United States
| | - Debbie E Goldberg
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Sophia Horiuchi
- Tracking California Public Health Institute, 555 12th St., Suite 290, Oakland, CA 94607, United States
| | - Maxwell Richardson
- Tracking California Public Health Institute, 555 12th St., Suite 290, Oakland, CA 94607, United States
| | - Gina Solomon
- Tracking California Public Health Institute, 555 12th St., Suite 290, Oakland, CA 94607, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Jhaqueline Valle
- Tracking California Public Health Institute, 555 12th St., Suite 290, Oakland, CA 94607, United States
| | - Peggy Reynolds
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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D’Evelyn SM, Jung J, Alvarado E, Baumgartner J, Caligiuri P, Hagmann RK, Henderson SB, Hessburg PF, Hopkins S, Kasner EJ, Krawchuk MA, Krenz JE, Lydersen JM, Marlier ME, Masuda YJ, Metlen K, Mittelstaedt G, Prichard SJ, Schollaert CL, Smith EB, Stevens JT, Tessum CW, Reeb-Whitaker C, Wilkins JL, Wolff NH, Wood LM, Haugo RD, Spector JT. Wildfire, Smoke Exposure, Human Health, and Environmental Justice Need to be Integrated into Forest Restoration and Management. Curr Environ Health Rep 2022; 9:366-385. [PMID: 35524066 PMCID: PMC9076366 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-022-00355-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Increasing wildfire size and severity across the western United States has created an environmental and social crisis that must be approached from a transdisciplinary perspective. Climate change and more than a century of fire exclusion and wildfire suppression have led to contemporary wildfires with more severe environmental impacts and human smoke exposure. Wildfires increase smoke exposure for broad swaths of the US population, though outdoor workers and socially disadvantaged groups with limited adaptive capacity can be disproportionally exposed. Exposure to wildfire smoke is associated with a range of health impacts in children and adults, including exacerbation of existing respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, worse birth outcomes, and cardiovascular events. Seasonally dry forests in Washington, Oregon, and California can benefit from ecological restoration as a way to adapt forests to climate change and reduce smoke impacts on affected communities. RECENT FINDINGS Each wildfire season, large smoke events, and their adverse impacts on human health receive considerable attention from both the public and policymakers. The severity of recent wildfire seasons has state and federal governments outlining budgets and prioritizing policies to combat the worsening crisis. This surging attention provides an opportunity to outline the actions needed now to advance research and practice on conservation, economic, environmental justice, and public health interests, as well as the trade-offs that must be considered. Scientists, planners, foresters and fire managers, fire safety, air quality, and public health practitioners must collaboratively work together. This article is the result of a series of transdisciplinary conversations to find common ground and subsequently provide a holistic view of how forest and fire management intersect with human health through the impacts of smoke and articulate the need for an integrated approach to both planning and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah M. D’Evelyn
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | - Jihoon Jung
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | - Ernesto Alvarado
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Jill Baumgartner
- Dept of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - R. Keala Hagmann
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Applegate Forestry, LLC, Corvallis, USA
| | | | - Paul F. Hessburg
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Wenatchee, WA USA
| | - Sean Hopkins
- Washington State Department of Ecology, Lacey, USA
| | - Edward J. Kasner
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | - Meg A. Krawchuk
- Dept. of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA
| | - Jennifer E. Krenz
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | - Jamie M. Lydersen
- California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Sacramento, USA
| | - Miriam E. Marlier
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | | | | | | | - Susan J. Prichard
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Claire L. Schollaert
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | | | - Jens T. Stevens
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM USA
| | - Christopher W. Tessum
- Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, USA
| | - Carolyn Reeb-Whitaker
- Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention Program, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Tumwater, USA
| | - Joseph L. Wilkins
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Interdisciplinary Studies Department, Howard University, Washington, DC USA
| | | | - Leah M. Wood
- Evan’s School of Public Policy and Governance and The Department of Global Health, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
| | | | - June T. Spector
- Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, 3980 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105 USA
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Sheridan C, Klompmaker J, Cummins S, James P, Fecht D, Roscoe C. Associations of air pollution with COVID-19 positivity, hospitalisations, and mortality: Observational evidence from UK Biobank. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 308:119686. [PMID: 35779662 PMCID: PMC9243647 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Individual-level studies with adjustment for important COVID-19 risk factors suggest positive associations of long-term air pollution exposure (particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide) with COVID-19 infection, hospitalisations and mortality. The evidence, however, remains limited and mechanisms unclear. We aimed to investigate these associations within UK Biobank, and to examine the role of underlying chronic disease as a potential mechanism. UK Biobank COVID-19 positive laboratory test results were ascertained via Public Health England and general practitioner record linkage, COVID-19 hospitalisations via Hospital Episode Statistics, and COVID-19 mortality via Office for National Statistics mortality records from March-December 2020. We used annual average outdoor air pollution modelled at 2010 residential addresses of UK Biobank participants who resided in England (n = 424,721). We obtained important COVID-19 risk factors from baseline UK Biobank questionnaire responses (2006-2010) and general practitioner record linkage. We used logistic regression models to assess associations of air pollution with COVID-19 outcomes, adjusted for relevant confounders, and conducted sensitivity analyses. We found positive associations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with COVID-19 positive test result after adjustment for confounders and COVID-19 risk factors, with odds ratios of 1.05 (95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1.02, 1.08), and 1.05 (95% CI = 1.01, 1.08), respectively. PM 2.5 and NO 2 were positively associated with COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths in minimally adjusted models, but not in fully adjusted models. No associations for PM10 were found. In analyses with additional adjustment for pre-existing chronic disease, effect estimates were not substantially attenuated, indicating that underlying chronic disease may not fully explain associations. We found some evidence that long-term exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 was associated with a COVID-19 positive test result in UK Biobank, though not with COVID-19 hospitalisations or deaths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Sheridan
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel St., London, WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom.
| | - Jochem Klompmaker
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States.
| | - Steven Cummins
- Population Health Innovation Lab, Department of Public Health, Environments and Society, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel St., London, United Kingdom.
| | - Peter James
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States; Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, 401 Park Drive, Suite 401 East, Boston, MA, 02215, United States.
| | - Daniela Fecht
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, St Mary's Campus, Imperial College London, London, W2 1PG, United Kingdom.
| | - Charlotte Roscoe
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine, St Mary's Campus, Imperial College London, London, W2 1PG, United Kingdom; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States.
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Burns CJ, LaKind JS, Naiman J, Boon D, Clougherty JE, Rule AM, Zidek A. Research on COVID-19 and air pollution: A path towards advancing exposure science. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113240. [PMID: 35390303 PMCID: PMC8979614 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113240] [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: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an extraordinary incidence of morbidity and mortality, with almost 6 million deaths worldwide at the time of this writing (https://covid19.who.int/). There has been a pressing need for research that would shed light on factors - especially modifiable factors - that could reduce risks to human health. At least several hundred studies addressing the complex relationships among transmission of SARS-CoV-2, air pollution, and human health have been published. However, these investigations are limited by available and consistent data. The project goal was to seek input into opportunities to improve and fund exposure research on the confluence of air pollution and infectious agents such as SARS-CoV-2. Thirty-two scientists with expertise in exposure science, epidemiology, risk assessment, infectious diseases, and/or air pollution responded to the outreach for information. Most of the respondents expressed value in developing a set of common definitions regarding the extent and type of public health lockdown. Traffic and smoking ranked high as important sources of air pollution warranting source-specific research (in contrast with assessing overall ambient level exposures). Numerous important socioeconomic factors were also identified. Participants offered a wide array of inputs on what they considered to be essential studies to improve our understanding of exposures. These ranged from detailed mechanistic studies to improved air quality monitoring studies and prospective cohort studies. Overall, many respondents indicated that these issues require more research and better study design. As an exercise to solicit opinions, important concepts were brought forth that provide opportunities for scientific collaboration and for consideration for funding prioritization. Further conversations on these concepts are needed to advance our thinking on how to design research that moves us past the documented limitations in the current body of research and prepares us for the next pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol J Burns
- Burns Epidemiology Consulting, LLC, 255 W Sunset Ct., Sanford, MI, 48657, USA.
| | - Judy S LaKind
- LaKind Associates, LLC, 106 Oakdale Avenue, Catonsville, MD, 21228, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
| | - Josh Naiman
- Naiman Consulting, LLC, 504 S 44th St, Apt 2, Phila, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Denali Boon
- Corteva Agriscience, 9330 Zionsville Rd, Indianapolis, IN, 46268, USA.
| | - Jane E Clougherty
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, 3215 Market St, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Ana M Rule
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Angelika Zidek
- Existing Substances Risk Assessment Bureau, 269 Laurier Ave, West, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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De Matteis S, Cencedda V, Pilia I, Cocco P. COVID-19 incidence in a cohort of public transport workers. LA MEDICINA DEL LAVORO 2022; 113:e2022039. [PMID: 36006092 PMCID: PMC9484285 DOI: 10.23749/mdl.v113i4.13478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background: Previous research has shown an excess risk of COVID-19 among several occupations, but data on public transport workers are scarce. To investigate the occupational risk posed by contact with the public, we followed up the incidence of COVID-19 in a cohort of public transport workers. Methods: We identified the incident cases of COVID-19 between 1 September 2020 - 6 May 2021 in a cohort of 2,052 employees of a public transport agency in Sardinia, Italy. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was based on a positive molecular test. To calculate the expected events, we applied the age- and gender-specific incidence rates in the regional population at the same time frame to the correspondent strata of the study cohort. We estimated the age- and gender-adjusted relative risk (RR) of COVID-19 as the ratio between the observed and the expected events and its 95% confidence interval (95% C.I.) among the total cohort and in two sub-cohorts: bus drivers and the rest of the personnel (administrative staff, train and metro drivers, workers in the mechanical shop, and in the railroad maintenance, and security). Results: Bus drivers run an elevated risk of COVID-19 (RR = 1.4, 95% C.I. 1.07 - 1.79). There was no excess risk among the rest of the personnel. Conclusions: Our study suggests an excess risk of COVID-19 among bus drivers even in a relatively low incidence area, which could imply inadequacy of the preventive measures put in place. Additional studies of larger size with detailed information on personal and lifestyle characteristics are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pierluigi Cocco
- Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Medicina Clinica e Molecolare, Università di Cagliari.
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48
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Hogerwerf L, Post PM, Bom B, van der Hoek W, van de Kassteele J, Stemerding AM, de Vries W, Houthuijs D. Proximity to livestock farms and COVID-19 in the Netherlands, 2020-2021. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2022; 245:114022. [PMID: 35987164 PMCID: PMC9376334 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.114022] [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: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Objectives In the Netherlands, during the first phase of the COVID-19 epidemic, the hotspot of COVID-19 overlapped with the country's main livestock area, while in subsequent phases this distinct spatial pattern disappeared. Previous studies show that living near livestock farms influence human respiratory health and immunological responses. This study aimed to explore whether proximity to livestock was associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods The study population was the population of the Netherlands excluding the very strongly urbanised areas and border areas, on January 1, 2019 (12, 628, 244 individuals). The cases are the individuals reported with a laboratory-confirmed positive SARS-CoV-2 test with onset before January 1, 2022 (2, 223, 692 individuals). For each individual, we calculated distance to nearest livestock farm (cattle, goat, sheep, pig, poultry, horse, rabbit, mink). The associations between residential (6-digit postal-code) distance to the nearest livestock farm and individuals' SARS-CoV-2 status was studied with multilevel logistic regression models. Models were adjusted for individuals' age categories, the social status of the postal code area, particulate matter (PM10)- and nitrogen dioxide (NO2)-concentrations. We analysed data for the entire period and population as well as separately for eight time periods (Jan–Mar, Apr–Jun, Jul–Sep and Oct–Dec in 2020 and 2021), four geographic areas of the Netherlands (north, east, west and south), and for five age categories (0–14, 15–24, 25–44, 45–64 and > 65 years). Results Over the period 2020–2021, individuals' SARS-CoV-2 status was associated with living closer to livestock farms. This association increased from an Odds Ratio (OR) of 1.01 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.01–1.02) for patients living at a distance of 751–1000 m to a farm to an OR of 1.04 (95% CI 1.04–1.04), 1.07 (95% CI 1.06–1.07) and 1.11 (95% CI 1.10–1.12) for patients living in the more proximate 501–750 m, 251–500m and 0–250 m zones around farms, all relative to patients living further than 1000 m around farms. This association was observed in three out of four quarters of the year in both 2020 and 2021, and in all studied geographic areas and age groups. Conclusions In this exploratory study with individual SARS-CoV-2 notification data and high-resolution spatial data associations were found between living near livestock farms and individuals' SARS-CoV-2 status in the Netherlands. Verification of the results in other countries is warranted, as well as investigations into possible underlying exposures and mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenny Hogerwerf
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Pim M Post
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands; Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente, P.O Box 217, Enschede, 7500 AE, the Netherlands.
| | - Ben Bom
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Wim van der Hoek
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Jan van de Kassteele
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | | | - Wilco de Vries
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
| | - Danny Houthuijs
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
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49
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Casey JA, Kioumourtzoglou MA, Ogburn EL, Melamed A, Shaman J, Kandula S, Neophytou A, Darwin KC, Sheffield JS, Gyamfi-Bannerman C. Long-Term Fine Particulate Matter Concentrations and Prevalence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2: Differential Relationships by Socioeconomic Status Among Pregnant Individuals in New York City. Am J Epidemiol 2022; 191:1897-1905. [PMID: 35916364 PMCID: PMC9384549 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwac139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We aimed to determine whether long-term ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM2.5)) were associated with increased risk of testing positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among pregnant individuals who were universally screened at delivery and whether socioeconomic status (SES) modified this relationship. We used obstetrical data collected from New-York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York, New York, between March and December 2020, including data on Medicaid use (a proxy for low SES) and COVID-19 test results. We linked estimated 2018-2019 PM2.5 concentrations (300-m resolution) with census-tract-level population density, household size, income, and mobility (as measured by mobile-device use) on the basis of residential address. Analyses included 3,318 individuals; 5% tested positive for COVID-19 at delivery, 8% tested positive during pregnancy, and 48% used Medicaid. Average long-term PM2.5 concentrations were 7.4 (standard deviation, 0.8) μg/m3. In adjusted multilevel logistic regression models, we saw no association between PM2.5 and ever testing positive for COVID-19; however, odds were elevated among those using Medicaid (per 1-μg/m3 increase, odds ratio = 1.6, 95% confidence interval: 1.0, 2.5). Further, while only 22% of those testing positive showed symptoms, 69% of symptomatic individuals used Medicaid. SES, including unmeasured occupational exposures or increased susceptibility to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) due to concurrent social and environmental exposures, may explain the increased odds of testing positive for COVID-19 being confined to vulnerable pregnant individuals using Medicaid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan A Casey
- Correspondence Address: Correspondence to Joan A. Casey, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W 168th St, Rm 1206 New York, NY 10032-3727 ()
| | - Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, United States
| | - Elizabeth L Ogburn
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Alexander Melamed
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, United States
| | - Jeffrey Shaman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, United States
| | - Sasikiran Kandula
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, United States
| | - Andreas Neophytou
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
| | - Kristin C Darwin
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jeanne S Sheffield
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, United States,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Health
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50
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Chaudhary V, Bhadola P, Kaushik A, Khalid M, Furukawa H, Khosla A. Assessing temporal correlation in environmental risk factors to design efficient area-specific COVID-19 regulations: Delhi based case study. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12949. [PMID: 35902653 PMCID: PMC9333075 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16781-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Amid ongoing devastation due to Serve-Acute-Respiratory-Coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV-2), the global spatial and temporal variation in the pandemic spread has strongly anticipated the requirement of designing area-specific preventive strategies based on geographic and meteorological state-of-affairs. Epidemiological and regression models have strongly projected particulate matter (PM) as leading environmental-risk factor for the COVID-19 outbreak. Understanding the role of secondary environmental-factors like ammonia (NH3) and relative humidity (RH), latency of missing data structuring, monotonous correlation remains obstacles to scheme conclusive outcomes. We mapped hotspots of airborne PM2.5, PM10, NH3, and RH concentrations, and COVID-19 cases and mortalities for January, 2021-July,2021 from combined data of 17 ground-monitoring stations across Delhi. Spearmen and Pearson coefficient correlation show strong association (p-value < 0.001) of COVID-19 cases and mortalities with PM2.5 (r > 0.60) and PM10 (r > 0.40), respectively. Interestingly, the COVID-19 spread shows significant dependence on RH (r > 0.5) and NH3 (r = 0.4), anticipating their potential role in SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. We found systematic lockdown as a successful measure in combatting SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. These outcomes strongly demonstrate regional and temporal differences in COVID-19 severity with environmental-risk factors. The study lays the groundwork for designing and implementing regulatory strategies, and proper urban and transportation planning based on area-specific environmental conditions to control future infectious public health emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Chaudhary
- Research Cell and Department of Physics, Bhagini Nivedita College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, 110043, India.
| | - Pradeep Bhadola
- Centre for Theoretical Physics and Natural Philosophy, Nakhonsawan Studiorum for Advanced Studies, Mahidol University, Nakhonsawan, 60130, Thailand.
| | - Ajeet Kaushik
- NanoBioTech Laboratory, Health System Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering, Florida Polytechnic University, Lakeland, FL, 33805, USA
- School of Engineering, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) , Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Mohammad Khalid
- Graphene and Advanced 2D Materials Research Group (GAMRG), School of Engineering and Technology, Sunway University, No. 5, Jalan University, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
- Sunway Materials Smart Science & Engineering (SMS2E) Research Cluster, Sunway University, No. 5, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Hidemitsu Furukawa
- Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamagata University, Yonezawa, Yamagata, 992-8510, Japan
| | - Ajit Khosla
- School of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Xidian University, Xi'an, 710126, People's Republic of China.
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