Dirty air, deadlier COVID - studies link particles to disease severity

In 10 seconds? It’s not just pre-existing conditions that can result in more severe COVID-19. According to a new study environmental factors such as poor air quality can also lead to worse outcomes for patients.

What did they discover? Researchers used previously recorded data from over 6000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients to identify the link between long-term exposure to small particles in the air (from dust, allergens, etc), black carbon and nitrogen dioxide, and disease severity. They’ve found that higher exposure to PM_2.5 (small particles that can travel deep into the lungs) can increase the risk of ICU admission and mortality, but carbon and nitrogen dioxide levels had no impact on disease severity.