Short-term Air Pollution increases risk of positivity of COVID-19 infection: JAMA

A new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association shows that short-term exposure to particulate matter and Black Carbon (BC) was linked to a higher chance of positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test findings, demonstrating the wide public health advantages of lowering ambient air pollution levels.

Although there is mounting ecological evidence of a link between short-term air pollution exposure and COVID-19, no study has looked at this link on an individual level. As a result, Zhebin Yu and colleagues undertook this research in order to determine the link between short-term exposure to polluted air and SARS-CoV-2 infection in Swedish young people.

From May 5, 2020, through March 31, 2021, this time-stratified case-crossover investigation connected the prospective BAMSE birth cohort to the Swedish national infectious disease registry to identify patients with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing findings. The PCR test date was used as the case day, whereas control days were chosen from weeks having the same day of the week within the same calendar month and year. From September 1 to December 31, 2021, data was analyzed. Dispersion models with high spatiotemporal resolution were used to estimate daily air pollutant levels at residential locations. The key outcome was confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection among BAMSE cohort members.