Potential Link Found Between Air Pollution and COVID Deaths

A large study by the Office for national Statistics (ONS) has found that there may be an increased risk of death from COVID-19 as a result of long-term exposure to air pollution.

The study examined over 46,000 deaths from COVID-19 in England. It found that a small increase in exposure to small-particle pollution over the last ten years may have resulted in an increase of 6% in the death rate.

As data is only available as averages for groups of people, the ONS has warned that their findings do not prove a conclusive link between air pollution and COVID-19 deaths. Individual-level data would need to be analysed in order to rule out other potential causes.

“The effects of long-term exposure to air pollution as a factor that increases coronavirus mortality appear smaller than those reported in previous studies, though our upper estimates are similar in magnitude to some,” the report said. “[But] it must be accepted that the true picture will likely only emerge once data are available for highly detailed individual-based modelling.”

There are grounds to suspect that polluted air worsens the effects of COVID-19. “Consistent exposure to air pollution is a known cause of breathing difficulties and other long-term conditions in the lungs and heart,” said the report.

”Our data show that 35% of deaths involving Covid-19 had a respiratory or cardiovascular disease as the main pre-existing health condition.”

The ONS said that dirty air could also be the reason why people from BAME populations have suffered more from COVID-19, as people from minority ethnic backgrounds are typically exposed to higher levels of pollution than others.

However, it is impossible at present to distinguish between the effects of pollution and race. The ONS said: “If there is a causal link between air pollution and COVID-19-related mortality, it would partially explain the disparities in outcomes for minority ethnic groups”.

The University of York’s Prof Alastair Lewis said: “The study shows that some of the early associations made between air pollution and COVID-19 mortality were artificially enhanced because the disease initially spread in large cities. The ONS analysis shows air pollution does still potentially increase the risk of COVID-19 mortality but perhaps by less than has been reported in other studies.”