Correlation is not necessarily causation of course. People in cities are likely to come into close contact with higher numbers of other potentially-infected people, by the very nature of things. There’s also an attempt to link coronavirus problems to fuel burning in this article: ‘Long-term exposure to air pollutants from car exhaust fumes or burning fossil fuels can put people at risk of these health conditions, and can also increase the risk of infection by viruses that affect people’s airways.’
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Higher air pollution has been linked to coronavirus as a study by Cambridge University says cities with the worst air have bigger outbreaks of cases, says the Daily Telegraph.
An analysis by the Medical Research Council Toxicology Unit compared regional data on total Covid-19 cases and deaths, against levels of three major air pollutants.
The study used data from seven regions in England, where a minimum of 2,000 infections and 200 deaths are reported from February to April 8, 2020, and air pollution records from more than 120 sites in 2018 and 2019.
Levels of pollutants nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen oxide, much of which comes from traffic fumes, were highest in London, the Midlands and the North West and lowest in southern regions of England.
Fatalities of people with the coronavirus, known as Sars-CoV-2, followed the same trend, the study found, suggesting the higher the pollution levels, the greater number of Covid-19 cases and deaths.
The researchers said their study provided evidence that higher levels of some air pollutants correlate with increased Covid-19 mortality and spread in England.
Continued here.
via Tallbloke’s Talkshop
April 22, 2020 at 06:30AM
Iowa Climate Science Education 