Long-term exposure to PM2.5 increases risk of long COVID in young adults: The Lancet
Sweden: A new study published in Lancet Regional health- Europe conducted by Swedish researchers has found that young adults who are exposed to long-term air pollution, specifically particulate matter (PM2.5), may have an increased risk of developing Long COVID.
Long COVID is a condition where individuals experience persistent symptoms after being infected with SARS-CoV-2 for two months or longer.
The study used data from the BAMSE cohort, which included 753 participants who had contracted SARS-CoV-2. Of those participants, 116 reported experiencing long COVID symptoms, which included altered sense of smell or taste, dyspnea (difficulty breathing), and fatigue.
The researchers estimated each participant's exposure to air pollution by analyzing levels of PM2.5, PM10, black carbon (BC), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) at their individual-level addresses through dispersion modeling. There were 753 participants with SARS-CoV-2 infection in total, with 116 (15.4%) reporting long COVID. The most common symptoms encountered among the participants were altered smell/taste, dyspnea, and fatigue.
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