An observational study of young adults in Stockholm, Sweden, shows that residential exposure to ambient air pollutants is linked to an elevated risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The study was conducted by researchers from Karolinska Institutet and was published in JAMA Network Open.
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 Institutet have studied this more closely by examining the link between estimated exposure to air pollutants at home addresses and positive PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 in young adults in Stockholm, Sweden.
The results show that exposure to certain traffic-related air pollutants is associated with a greater likelihood of testing positive.
Source : Health Economic Times – India Times