Critical Covid-19 Patients Found From 'Polluted Areas', Finds Report. Here's How To Combat Indoor Air Pollution

Researchers found requiring intensive care and machines to help them breathe were more likely to live in neighborhoods with higher levels of air pollution and lead paint.

FILE PIC/AFP

New Delhi: The ongoing pandemic has already kept us on our toes and there seems to be no relief from the mutating virus in the coming months. There are several complications associated to the viral disease that have come to the fore and made us wary. But did you know  dirty air contributes to Covid-19 severity? Yes, If you go by the new study from one of America’s most polluted cities then researchers found Covid-19 patients more prone to breathing issues living in those areas.

What are findings of the report?

In their observation, researchers who studied 2,038 adults hospitalised with Covid-19 in the Detroit area, found requiring intensive care and machines to help them breathe were more likely to live in neighborhoods with higher levels of air pollution and lead paint.

It has been observed that the level of air contamination impacted the chances of patients getting admitted in intensive care and the requirement of mechanical ventilation. Dr Anita Shallal of Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital explained that the long-term exposure to air pollution may harm the immune system and make it more susceptible to viral infections, while fine particles in air pollution may also act as a carrier for the virus and help it spread.

The study “calls attention to the systemic inequalities that may have led to the stark differences in COVID-19 outcomes along racial and ethnic lines," Shallal said in a statement from the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, where the findings were shared. “Communities of color are more likely to be located in areas closer to industrial pollution, and to work in businesses that expose them to air pollution."

In one of the recent study,  Aaron Bernstein, the director of the Center for Climate, Health, and Global Environment at Harvard University clearly said that people living in polluted areas are more likely to succumb to air pollution.

 “The evidence we have is pretty clear that people who have been living in places that are more polluted over time, that they are more likely to die from coronavirus,” said Bernstein.

How To Prevent Air Pollution At Home

• One of the most common causes of air pollution is cigarette smoke. It is best to opt for a smoke-free home to keep pollution away.
• Indoor pollution can also be caused by household cleaning supplies. Harsh chemicals that produce fumes can irritate nose, mouth and lungs, as well as your skin.
• Other sources of indoor pollution can be particulates from candles and incense, irritating perfumes, allergens, such as mold, pollen, pet dander and dust mites.
• Try to avoid any such wood-burning fireplaces or stoves.
• Make sure there is proper ventilation inside homes besides ensure that gas stoves are well ventilated with hoods to outside.
•  Materials used in older buildings such as asbestos, formaldehyde and lead should be noticed.