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April 20, 2021
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Pollution exposure, preexisting asthma or COPD may raise odds of COVID-19 hospitalization

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Among patients with COVID-19 and preexisting asthma or COPD, long-term exposure to air pollution was associated with higher odds for hospitalization, according to results of a pilot study published in Respiratory Medicine.

“Our study didn’t find any correlation between severity of COVID-19 and particulate matter in general, but we found something for people who had asthma and COPD. People who have preexisting asthma and COPD, when they’re exposed to higher levels of particulate matter, they are more likely to have severe COVID-19, severe enough to be hospitalized,” Angelico Mendy, MD, PhD, assistant professor of environmental and public health sciences at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, said in a related press release.

Air Pollution from stacks
Source: Adobe Stock.

Researchers identified 1,128 patients (70.9% aged 60 years or younger; 53.5% women) who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between March and July 2020 at University of Cincinnati hospitals and clinics. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure over 10 years (2008-2017) at patients’ residential ZIP codes were used to evaluate the association between PM2.5 exposure and COVID-19 hospitalization.

Mean PM2.5 was 11.34 g/m3 for 10-year average exposure and 13.83 g/m3 for 10-year maximal exposure. PM2.5 exposure and its association with COVID-19 hospitalization for average exposure (P = .03) and maximal exposures (P = .001) depended on whether a patient had preexisting asthma or COPD, according to the researchers.

As the 10-year average PM2.5 exposure and the 10-year maximal exposure increased by 1 g/m3, the odds of hospitalization were 62% (OR = 1.62; 95% CI, 1-2.64) and 65% (OR = 1.65; 95% CI, 1.16-2.35) higher among patients with COVID-19 with preexisting asthma or COPD.

Researchers observed no association with higher hospitalization and PM2.5 exposure (OR = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.65-1.09 for average exposure; OR = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65-0.95 for maximal exposure) among patients with COVID-19 and preexisting asthma or COPD.

“This study may have policy implications such as reducing particulate exposure,” Mendy said. “Many people want to have more clean energy and reduced emissions into the atmosphere.”

These findings are preliminary, and future, larger and more comprehensive studies are required, according to the researchers.

“Independent replications are needed to confirm these results,” the researchers wrote. “If the observed associations are confirmed in future studies and are indeed causal, appropriate measures to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly in patients with asthma or COPD residing in high PM2.5 exposure areas, could reduce COVID-19 hospitalization and morbidity.”

Reference:

Press Release.