Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

People exposed to higher levels of <keyword id="55910" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="Orion">air pollution</keyword> before the pandemic are likely to have lower antibody responses to Covid-19 vaccines, suggests a study. In particular, exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and blank carbon (BC) was associated with about a 10 per cent decrease in IgM and IgG antibody responses in people without prior infection, said researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), and the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) in Spain. The fact that previous infections lead to higher vaccine responses could explain why the effect of pollutants was only observed in people without a prior infection. However, the role of long-term exposure to air pollution on hybrid immunity (infection plus vaccination) deserves further investigation, the researchers warned, in the study published in Environmental Health Perspectives. "Air pollution can induce chronic inflammation, which has been associated with a negative effect on vaccine efficacy," said Carlota Dobano, researcher from ISGlobal. "Our findings are consistent with evidence that persistent organic pollutants reduce vaccine responses in children," she added. Air pollutants have been shown to affect immune responses. Previously it has been linked to adverse health outcomes, including lung cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and diabetes. The team analysed data from 927 participants (aged 40 to 65 years), who answered questionnaires and gave blood samples in the summer of 2020 (right after the first lockdown) and in 2021 (after the start of Covid-19 vaccination). All had received one or two doses of the main Covid-19 vaccines administered in Spain (made by AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna). The research team measured IgM, IgG and IgA antibodies to five viral antigens (three of them on the Spike protein contained in the vaccine). Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), black carbon (BC), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) was estimated for each participant based on his or her address before the pandemic. The results show that in uninfected individuals, pre-pandemic exposure to PM2.5, NO2 and BC was associated with a 5 per cent to 10 per cent reduction in vaccine-induced Spike antibodies. The decrease in antibodies was shown both for early IgM responses and late responses measured by IgG. The IgG response after the first dose peaked later in participants exposed to higher air pollution levels, and lower IgG levels persisted for several months after vaccination. Results were similar for the three vaccines. The study did not look at whether the reduction in antibody responses led to an increased risk of breakthrough infections and their severity. However, the findings add to the growing body of evidence on the adverse effects of air pollution even at the relatively low levels observed in Western Europe, the researchers said, while calling for stricter air pollution limits. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ipl-2023-to-drive-fantasy-sports-companies-to-2900-3100-crore-revenue/articleshow/99285556.cms">IPL 2023 to drive fantasy sports companies to ₹2,900-3,100 crore revenue, fueled by Tier-2 cities and exciting prizes</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-makes-it-easier-for-users-to-delete-their-account-and-data-from-applications/articleshow/99289621.cms">Google makes it easier for users to delete their account and data from applications</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/9-out-10-tvs-sold-in-india-in-2022-were-smart-tvs-and-nearly-all-of-these-tvs-are-assembled-locally/articleshow/99262205.cms">9 out 10 TVs sold in India in 2022 were smart TVs, and nearly all of these TVs are assembled locally</a>

Air pollution can affect your Covid vaccine efficacy: Study

Berlin, Apr 21 () Higher levels of nitrogen dioxide pollutants in the air may be associated with an increased number of deaths from COVID-19, according to a study. The research, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, combined satellite data on air pollution and air currents with confirmed deaths related to COVID-19. It revealed that regions with permanently high levels of pollution have significantly more deaths than other regions, according to the researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) in Germany. Nitrogen dioxide is an air pollutant that damages the human respiratory tract, the researchers said. For many years it has been known to cause many types of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in humans, they said. "Since the novel coronavirus also affects the respiratory tract, it is reasonable to assume that there might be a correlation between air pollution and the number of deaths from Covid-19," said Yaron Ogen from MLU. The researchers combined three sets of data, including the levels of regional nitrogen dioxide pollution measured by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Sentinel 5P satellite, which continuously monitors air pollution on the Earth. Based on this data, he produced a global overview for regions with high and prolonged amounts of nitrogen dioxide pollution. "I looked at the values for January and February of this year, before the corona outbreaks in Europe began," explained Ogen. He combined this data with data from the US weather agency NOAA on vertical air flows. He explained that if air is in motion, the pollutants near the ground are also more disseminated. However, if the air tends to stay near the ground, this will also apply to the pollutants in the air, which are then more likely be inhaled by humans in greater amounts and thus lead to health problems, Ogen said. Using this data, the researcher was able to identify hotspots around the world with high levels of air pollution and simultaneously low levels of air movement. He then compared these with the data on deaths related to Covid-19, specifically analysing the data from Italy, France, Spain and Germany. He found that the regions with a high number of deaths also had particularly high levels of nitrogen dioxide and a particularly low amount of vertical air exchange. "When we look at Northern Italy, the area around Madrid, and Hubei Provence in China, for example, they all have something in common: they are surrounded by mountains. This makes it even more likely that the air in these regions is stable and pollution levels are higher," Ogen said. The advantage of the analysis, he noted, is that it is based on individual regions and does not only compare countries. "Even though we can obtain a country's average value for air pollution, this figure could vary greatly from region to region and therefore not be a reliable indicator," said Ogen. The geoscientist suspects that this persistent air pollution in the affected regions could have led to overall poorer health in the people living there, making them particularly susceptible to the virus. "However, my research on the topic is only an initial indication that there might be a correlation between the level of air pollution, air movement and the severity of the course of the corona outbreaks," said Ogen. SARSAR

Air pollution linked with higher COVID-19 death rate: Study

In a major global study, researchers have revealed that long-term exposure to air pollution may be linked to 15 per cent of Covid-19 deaths worldwide. According to the study, published in the journal Cardiovascular Research, in Europe the proportion was about 19 per cent, in North America it was 17 per cent, and in East Asia about 27 per cent. "Since the numbers of deaths from Covid-19 are increasing all the time, it's not possible to give exact or final numbers of Covid-19 deaths per country that can be attributed to air pollution," said study author Jos Lelieveld from Max Planck Institute in Germany. "However, as an example, in the UK there have been over 44,000 <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> deaths and we estimate that the fraction attributable to air pollution is 14 per cent, meaning that more than 6,100 deaths could be attributed to air pollution," Lelieveld added. The researchers used epidemiological data from the previous US and Chinese studies of air pollution and Covid-19 and the SARS outbreak in 2003, supported by additional data from Italy. They combined this with satellite data showing global exposure to polluting fine particles known as 'particulate matter' that is less than or equal to 2.5 microns in diameter (known as PM2.5) to create a model to calculate the fraction of coronavirus deaths that could be attributable to long-term exposure to PM2.5. The results are based on epidemiological data collected up the third week in June 2020 and the researchers said that a comprehensive evaluation will need to follow after the pandemic has subsided. Estimates for individual countries show, for example, that air pollution contributed to 29 per cent of coronavirus deaths in the Czech Republic, 27 per cent in China, 26 per cent in Germany, 22 per cent in Switzerland, 21 per cent in Belgium, 19 per cent in The Netherlands, 15 per cent in Italy and 14 per cent in the UK. Referring to previous work that suggests that the fine particulates in air pollution may prolong the atmospheric lifetime of infectious viruses and help them to infect more people. Lelieveld said: "It's likely that particulate matter plays a role in 'super-spreading events' by favouring transmission." According to the researchers, the particulate matter seems to increase the activity of a receptor on cell surfaces, called ACE-2, that is known to be involved in the way Covid-19 infects cells. "So, we have a 'double hit': air pollution damages the lungs and increases the activity of ACE-2, which in turn leads to enhanced uptake of the virus by the lungs and probably by the blood vessels and the heart," the authors wrote. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/china-launches-three-new-spy-satellites-amid-border-dispute-with-india-and-tensions-in-the-south-china-sea/articleshow/78886330.cms">China launches three new spy satellites amid border dispute with India and tensions in the South China Sea</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/indian-equity-markets-trade-higher-led-by-banking-consumer-good-stocks/articleshow/78886121.cms">Indian equity markets trade higher led by banking, consumer good stocks</a>

Air pollution ups COVID-19 deaths by 15% worldwide, claims study

Boston, Apr 8 () Living in areas with higher levels of air pollution is associated with an increased risk of death from COVID-19, claims a study conducted in the US. The research is the first to look at the link between long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) -- generated largely from fuel combustion from cars, refineries, and power plants -- and the risk of death from COVID-19 in the US, said the researchers from Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health. The yet-to-be-published study looked at more than 3,000 counties across the US, comparing levels of fine particulate air pollution with novel coronavirus death counts for each area. The researchers adjusted for population size, hospital beds, number of people tested for COVID-19, weather, and socioeconomic and behavioural variables such as obesity and smoking. They found that a small increase in long-term exposure to PM2.5 leads to a significant increase in the COVID-19 death rate. The study found, for example, that someone who lives for decades in a county with high levels of PM2.5 is 15 per cent more likely to die from COVID-19 than someone who lives in a region that has just one microgramme per cubic metre less pollution. The findings align with known connections between PM2.5 exposure and higher risk of death from many other cardiovascular and respiratory ailments, said the researchers. "A small increase in long-term exposure to PM2.5 leads to a large increase in COVID-19 death rate, with the magnitude of increase 20 times that observed for PM 2.5 and all-cause mortality," according to the researchers. "The study results underscore the importance of continuing to enforce existing air pollution regulations to protect human health both during and after the COVID-19 crisis," they said. SARSAR

Air pollution linked to higher COVID-19 death rates: US study

Exposure to certain traffic-related air pollutants is associated with a greater likelihood of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus, claims an observational study of young adults. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, showed associations between infection risk and exposure to particles with a diameter less than 10 micrometres (PM10) and 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5), two days before a positive test and exposure to black carbon one day before. They, however, found no link between the risk of infection and nitrogen oxides. "Our results add to the growing body of evidence that air pollution has a part to play in Covid-19 and support the potential benefit of improving air quality," said <keyword id="13663390" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="olena-gruzieva" source="Orion">Olena Gruzieva</keyword>, Associate Professor at the <keyword id="3165410" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="institute-of-environmental-medicine" source="Orion">Institute of Environmental Medicine</keyword> at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Since pollutants in outdoor air can increase the risk of respiratory infections such as influenza and SARS, the Covid-19 pandemic aroused fears that they could also contribute to the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Studies have also shown that areas of poor air quality have more cases of Covid-19. Researchers at Karolinska studied this more closely by examining the link between estimated exposure to air pollutants at home addresses and positive <keyword id="6361808" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="pcr" source="Orion">PCR</keyword> tests for SARS-CoV-2 in young adults in Stockholm, Sweden. The researchers identified 425 individuals who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (PCR test) between May 2020 and the end of March 2021. Daily outdoor concentrations of different air pollutants at the participants' home addresses were estimated using dispersion models. The increase in risk was of an order of magnitude around seven per cent per particle exposure increase equivalent to the interquartile range, i.e. between the first quartile (25 per cent) and the third quartile (75 per cent) of the estimated particle concentrations. "Seven per cent doesn't sound much, but given that everyone is more or less exposed to air pollutants, the association may be of great significance to public health," said <keyword id="13666828" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="erik-melen" source="Orion">Erik Melen</keyword>, professor of paediatrics at the Department of Clinical Science and Education, at Karolinska. The observed association was not influenced by gender, smoking, overweight or asthma. The researchers note that the results might be affected by the willingness to take a PCR test and the fact that many of the young adults were asymptomatic or had only mild symptoms following infection. They are now examining the link between air pollutants and post-Covid symptoms in young adults. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/five-banks-that-offer-cheaper-home-loan-rates-in-india/articleshow/90959872.cms">Five banks that offer cheaper home loan rates in India</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/article/indian-livelihoods-turn-less-green-sharp-decline-in-hiring-green-jobs-over-the-last-five-years-compared-to-the-global-average/articleshow/90971775.cms">Indian livelihoods turn less green! Sharp decline in hiring green jobs over the last five years compared to the global average</a>

Air pollution can heighten COVID-19 risk in young adults

<ul><li>Weakness in <keyword id="11984417" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="chinese-stocks" source="Orion">Chinese stocks</keyword> is likely to continue as the country grapples with a COVID-19 outbreak, DataTrek said on Tuesday.</li><li>The research firm tracks city <keyword id="11977673" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="air-quality" source="Orion">air quality</keyword> to get a sense if China's economy has returned to growth.</li><li>"The busier a city is, the more pollution it creates," DataTrek said in explaining its analysis.</li></ul>The ongoing weakness in Chinese stocks is likely to continue as the country <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-employees-urged-live-offices-covid-19-2022-4">grapples with an outbreak in COVID-19</a>, <a href="https://www.datatrekresearch.com/">DataTrek</a> co-founder Nicholas Colas said in a note on Tuesday.One <a href="https://aqicn.org/city/shanghai/">under-the-radar indicator</a> he used to confirm his view on Chinese stocks is city air-quality data, according to the note. "The idea here is simple: the busier a city is, the more pollution it creates. Compare current air quality readings, which are available with only a 1-day lag with data from past years, and you get a reasonable assessment of whether output is increasing or decreasing," Colas explained.While the data may not be perfect due to weather patterns, summer holidays, and measures to reduce air pollution over time, it can still give a near real-time look into how busy a city is. The Beijing Winter Olympics early this year also saw city officials take steps to reduce pollution.So what does the data show today?According to Colas, cities across China, including Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Tianjin, are experiencing cleaner air compared to 2021. For example, there have been 62 green (clean) days in Shenzhen in 2022, versus just 35 over the same period in 2021. Shenzhen is as a major tech manufacturing city just north of Hong Kong.While city residents will appreciate the improved air quality, it's not a great sign from an economic point of view, nor is it the best sign for Chinese stock investors."Even if China is having real success taming its long-standing air pollution problems, the difference in just one year is large enough to say that economic activity is, at best, unchanged from 2021," Colas said. This has likely been compounded by the surge in COVID-19 cases over the past months in cities including Shanghai and Beijing, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-restriction-china-lockdown-jilin-shenzhen-2022-3">along with their accompanied city-wide lockdowns.</a>And the pain for investors is not likely to end anytime soon, according to DataTrek, who reminded readers that Chinese stocks were already under pressure prior to the COVID outbreak <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-guide-china-tech-crackdown-from-algorithms-to-crypto-mining-2021-10">as regulators crack down on big tech.</a>"Looking at this data, it is easy to see both why Chinese equities and the yuan itself are under so much pressure over the last few days. Based on this analysis, it is hard to see these trends changing anytime soon," Colas concluded.

There is one under-the-radar metric that suggests underperformance in Chinese stocks is likely to continue, DataTrek says

Getty/Reuters/Business Insider<ul class="summary-list"><li>Los Angeles, which is notorious for its smog, has some of the cleanest air in the world, as California stays under lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. </li><li>The improvement could be attributed to fewer planes flying and fewer cars on the road. </li><li>However, experts predict the air quality will go down again once the lockdown is lifted. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Los Angeles, a city well known for its smog and pollution currently has some of the cleanest air among major cities across the world, CNN reported. The designation comes from an <a href="https://www.iqair.com/us/world-air-quality-ranking" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">IQ Air's live quality city ranking.</a> According to <a href="https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/04/06/la-has-the-cleanest-air-in-the-world-report-says/">CBS Los Angeles</a>, this is the best air quality that the city has seen in decades. CNN reported that the Environmental Protection Agency said the city last month saw the most consecutive good air days since at least 1995. Mario Tama/Getty ImagesSmog hangs over the city on a day rated as having 'moderate' air quality in downtown Los Angeles, on June 11, 2019.According to CBS, experts attribute the reduced pollution to fewer planes flying and less traffic on the ground. Dr. Yifang Zhu, a professor of environmental health sciences at UCLA's Fielding School of Public Health, told CNN her team also saw reduced levels of PM 2.5, a class of air pollutants <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/health-and-environmental-effects-particulate-matter-pm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">linked to cardiovascular and respiratory problems,</a> CNN reported. The group observed that the pollutant, which a <a href="https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/covid-pm/files/pm_and_covid_mortality.pdf">Harvard study</a> linked it's exposure to a higher risk of death from COVID-19 was down by 40%.However, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quarantines-air-pollution-china-but-wont-last-for-long-expert-2020-3">Business Insider's Lauren Frias</a> previously reported that while lockdowns and quarantines were contributing to reduced pollution and emissions in China, that won't last for long and is likely to reverse once cities begin to open again. Lauri Myllyvirta, the lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air in Helsinki, Finland, told Insider that it was likely that the country's streak of reduced emissions would stop once companies started increasing production to make up for what was lost during the lockdown. REUTERS/Lucy NicholsonDowntown freeways are empty of traffic as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Los Angeles on April 7, 2020.Zhu also told CNN that the air quality in Los Angeles is also likely to go back down once the lockdown is lifted. However, she said the improvements show that people can take steps to ensure better air quality. Do you have a personal experience with the coronavirus you'd like to share? Or a tip on how your town or community is handling the pandemic? Please email <a href="mailto:covidtips@businessinsider.com">covidtips@businessinsider.com</a> and tell us your story.And get the latest <a href="/coronavirus-business-impact">coronavirus analysis and research</a> from Business Insider Intelligence on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-usa-nationwide-lockdown-trump-2020-3">Can the US actually implement a nationwide lockdown?</a></h3>

Before and after photos show how stay-at-home orders helped Los Angeles significantly reduce its notorious smog

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6360584" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="smoke">Smoke</keyword> from <a href="https://www.insider.com/west-coast-fires-climate-change-california-treats-fire-backlog-2020-9">unprecedented wildfires</a> on the <keyword id="44875" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="West-coast">West Coast</keyword> could leave millions of people more vulnerable to the <keyword id="43544" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Flu">flu</keyword> and <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>.</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/view-earth-from-space-show-smoke-from-west-coast-wildfires-2020-9">Wildfire smoke</a> contains tiny particulate matter, called PM2.5, that can penetrate deep into the <keyword id="6363498" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lungs">lungs</keyword> and spread through the bloodstream.</li><li>These particles can damage the lungs, blood vessels, and immune system, leaving the body less equipped to fight off an infection.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/west-coast-wildfires-map-of-biggest-fires-color-coded-2020-9">Unprecedented wildfires</a> have been raging along the West Coast for more than a week.Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in Washington, Oregon, and California, and even those who don't live near a fire have been trapped inside for days due to hazardous air from the smoke blanketing the coast.<a href="https://www.insider.com/west-coast-hazardous-air-quality-worst-on-earth-wildfire-smoke-2020-9">Pollution levels skyrocketed across all three states last week</a>, making the air outside unsafe to breath and rivaling the most polluted cities in the world. Forecasts don't expect the air to clear significantly until later this week.<div type="image" title="wildfires california oregon washington fires smoke west coast satellite image" height="426" width="600" msid="78137057" hostid="261"></div>A growing body of research shows smoke can damage the lungs, blood vessels, and immune system, leaving people more vulnerable to respiratory illness. So when flu season arrives, the lingering effects of the poor air could exacerbate twin outbreaks of flu and <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>."That's something that we need to watch carefully," <a href="https://health.oregonstate.edu/people/perry-hystad">Perry Hystad</a>, an environmental epidemiologist and associate professor at Oregon State University, told Business Insider. "Because there is this evidence in terms of air pollution suppressing the immune system and making individuals more susceptible to the flu and, of course, potentially coronavirus."<h2><keyword id="41285" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Wildfire">Wildfire</keyword> smoke is terrible for your lungs</h2><div type="image" title="wildfires smoke oregon mask fire damage destruction" height="1466" width="1955" msid="78137060" hostid="261"></div>The most hazardous thing about wildfire smoke is the tiny particulate matter it carries — specifically, particles that measure no more than 2.5 micrometers across (that's about 30 times smaller than a human hair). These are known as PM2.5.When humans inhale smoke, these particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6015400/">Research</a> has connected PM2.5 pollution to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and premature death. In healthy people short-term, it can irritate the eyes and lungs and cause wheezing, coughs, or difficulty breathing."There's a lot of research on what wildfires can do, or what air pollution does, to the lungs," Stephanie Christenson, a pulmonary and critical care physician at the University of California, San Francisco, told Business Insider. That research shows PM2.5 particles can damage the lining of the lungs and cause inflammation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/covid-19/wildfire_smoke_covid-19.html#:~:text=Wildfire%20smoke%20can%20irritate%20your,a%20little%20different%20this%20year.">warns</a> that it can "make you more prone to lung infections," since any breach in the lungs' lining offers more opportunities for a virus to infiltrate.Smoke can also impact the heart and blood vessels: Many studies have linked wildfires to increases in heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. That's probably because when PM2.5 particles get into the blood, they can cause <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/news/2019/07/22/where-theres-wildfire-smoke-there-may-be-heart-problems#:~:text=Wildfire%20smoke%20is%20particularly%20dangerous,blood%20clots%20and%20heart%20attacks.">inflammation and clotting</a>. Blood pressure can also rise just from the stress of living in <a href="https://www.insider.com/oregon-california-smoke-turns-skies-apocalyptic-orange-photos-2020-9">an apocalyptic, sepia-toned haze</a> (not to mention the difficulty of evacuating your home).<div type="image" title="sausalito" height="1998" width="2664" msid="78137061" hostid="261"></div>One <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/EHP5792">study</a> looked at more than 670,000 ambulance dispatch calls during five wildfire seasons in British Columbia, Canada, and found an increase in respiratory and cardiovascular issues within just one hour of a rise in PM2.5 pollution."Around the time of wildfires, we actually get more patients going into the hospitals with severe respiratory complaints like pneumonias," Christenson said. "There's actually a higher mortality rate after wildfires that we think [is] due to health conditions, not just people perishing in wildfires."PM2.5 particles can also impair the immune system, possibly by <a href="https://europepmc.org/article/med/28887033">disabling immune cells</a> in the lungs or by simply being overwhelming."These particles can cross into the bloodstream and sort of reach everywhere in the body," Hystad said. "So your immune system is definitely under pressure."<h2>Smoky air and COVID-19</h2>It's still unclear how PM2.5 exposure will influence coronavirus infections, but odds are it won't be good."There's some research that's coming out to show that air pollution will increase susceptibility [to coronavirus], and we know that air pollution is robustly linked to increases in cardiovascular disease," Hystad said. "One of the biggest risk factors for COVID is a preexisting condition. So right off the bat there, we know that air pollution is putting people at more risk."<div type="image" title="california fires" height="2000" width="2666" msid="78137063" hostid="261"></div>Researchers at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health <a href="https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/covid-pm">found</a> that people with COVID-19 were more likely to die if they lived in a county with high levels of PM2.5 air pollution. A <a href="http://ftp.iza.org/dp13367.pdf">few</a> other <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7345938/">studies</a> have shown a similar connection."We're still kind of in our infancy of what wildfires in connection with COVID-19 do to the lungs, because we just don't have the data yet," Christenson said, adding, "I'm worried that if you are exposed to the wildfires and you have COVID-19, you could have more symptoms or worse disease." <h2><keyword id="42704" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="fires">Fires</keyword> might make flu season worse, too</h2><div type="image" title="coronavirus virus flu sick cold hygiene hand sanitizer clorox hands wash sneeze runny nose sinus infection cox 1" height="1667" width="2222" msid="78137065" hostid="261"></div>Some preliminary evidence indicates that bad wildfire seasons can prompt especially bad flu seasons.A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019326935">recent analysis</a> of nine years of data from Montana revealed that months after prolonged wildfire smoke, communities had three to five times more flu cases than normal."In other words, our study showed cases of flu go up after bad fire seasons," Erin Landguth, an associate professor at the University of Montana who conducted the study, told <a href="https://www.cpr.org/2020/08/24/colorado-coronavirus-wildfires-smoke-risks/">Colorado Public Radio</a>.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4750357/">Two</a> <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-7607-2">studies</a> from China have also found associations between PM2.5 exposure and increased flu-like illness, though that research was not about wildfire smoke in particular.To make matters worse, wildfires have been persisting <a href="https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2020/">later</a> into the year over the last few decades as a warming climate lengthens the dry season. That raises the possibility that smoky conditions will overlap with flu season — fire season typically peaks in late September or early October, which is when flu season usually begins.<div type="image" title="creek fire california firefighters" height="1467" width="1956" msid="78137067" hostid="261"></div>That could lead hospitals in the Pacific Northwest to see an influx of patients with flu, coronavirus, and conditions exacerbated by wildfire smoke all at the same time. Hystad does not think the smoke will tip the scales enough to overwhelm hospitals, but it might compound the effects of the flu-coronavirus overlap that many experts already fear."We've been kind of bracing for this, as lung doctors, for awhile," Christenson said. Though the health effects of wildfire smoke develop slowly for many people, she added, "you just worry with the COVID-19 patients."Susie Neilson contributed reporting to this story.

You Searched For "Air Pollution Covid" and got 8 results

Air pollution can affect your Covid vaccine efficacy: Study

IANS

Air pollution linked with higher COVID-19 death rate: Study

PTI

Air pollution ups COVID-19 deaths by 15% worldwide, claims study

IANS

Air pollution linked to higher COVID-19 death rates: US study

PTI

Air pollution can heighten COVID-19 risk in young adults

IANS

There is one under-the-radar metric that suggests underperformance in Chinese stocks is likely to continue, DataTrek says

Matthew Fox

Before and after photos show how stay-at-home orders helped Los Angeles significantly reduce its notorious smog

Sarah Al-Arshani,Sarah Al-Ars…

Wildfire smoke is likely to leave millions of people more vulnerable to flu and the coronavirus this fall

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides