ABSTRACT
Background Italy was the first western country severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic attesting more than 16 million cases since the outbreak began. Po Valley regions have been most afflicted, with Piedmont ranking sixth at 25,899 cases/100,000 inhabitants. Within this area, air dispersion is hampered making Po Valley a recognised air pollution hotspot. We aimed to explore the potential association between the environment and Covid-19 incidence. Methods Daily key air pollutants (NO2, NO, CO, O3, PM10, and PM2.5), meteorological parameters (temperature, %humidity, wind speed and solar radiation), pollens and Covid-19 cases were collected from 01/01 to 31/12/2021 in Turin, Italy. This ecological study preliminarily tested correlations (Spearman) between air pollutants and Covid-19 cases. Results The Covid-19 pandemic followed a seasonal trend with the highest number of cases (/100,000 inhabitants) in winter and spring (3.1) followed by autumn (1.3) and summer (0.5) (KW test p < 0.0001). Likewise, all air pollutants showed peaks in winter and autumn and sensibly decreased during spring and summer apart from pollens and O3. O3 follows the photochemical processes reaching its peak in the sunniest periods, while pollens undergo their natural vegetative process. Daily Covid-19 cases were positively correlated with daily-averaged NO2 (0.50, p < 0.0001), NO (0.48, p < 0.0001), CO (0.81, p < 0.0001), PM10 (0.36, p < 0.0001), PM2.5 (0.39, p < 0.0001), pollens (0.15, p = 0.073) and inversely with O3 (-0.44, p < 0.0001). We plan future analyses to test the hypothesized association by enhanced models with lagged air pollution variables, with demographic characteristics and meteorological data as potential confounders. Conclusions Results from ecological studies may support researchers’ preliminary understanding of the interplay between environment and Public Health issues, including pandemics. A multidisciplinary approach is mandatory to deepen the complexity of this topic across European regions Key messages • The Covid-19 pandemic may be associated with environmental conditions and air pollution but further research is needed. • Atmospheric particulate matter, including aeroallergens, can favour many airborne-related diseases by acting as immune suppressor and/or carrier, but these hypotheses deserve future research.
ABSTRACT
Background From the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic imposed many changes in the organization of our personal and professional life, allowing a shift to teleworking and hybrid working arrangements worldwide. The persistence of this condition determined the integration of these changes in the daily routine, and our aim was to investigate how these changes could affect workers’ Quality of Life (QOL) in the long run. Methods An online questionnaire was administered to 650 workers employed in an Italian company in July 2021. The domains considered were socio-demographic characteristics, QOL (WHOQOL-bref and Healthy Days), lifestyle, health status, physical activity, and work-related factors. Comparisons were performed with non-parametric tests. Results Among the 332 respondents (response rate = 51.1%), 79.2% were white-collar workers. The concern for the pandemic affected workers’ QOL, especially in the physical health and the environmental domains (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively), with lower values in subjects reporting the highest values of concern. A similar effect was found also for healthy days concerning physical and psychological health, and the ability to perform usual activities (p = 0.003, p = 0.003, and p = 0.029, respectively). As well, changes in working arrangements significantly affected the environmental and physical domains (p = 0.023 and p = 0.015, respectively) and the ability to do usual activities (p = 0.011), with lower values in those who interrupted the working activity. Workers whose activity required a shift to teleworking reported higher scores in the physical health domain (p = 0.041) and a higher number of days with good physical health (p = 0.002), while a lower number of days with good psychological health (p = 0.006). Conclusions These preliminary data revealed that organizational strategies adopted in working scenarios to contain the spread of COVID-19 may have an impact on workers’ QOL, as well as the concern for the pandemic. Key messages • Changes in the working arrangements due to pandemic may negatively affect the workers’ Quality of Life, especially for those who had to interrupt their working activity. • The shift to telework, even if appearing to be beneficial for physical health perception, seems to negatively affect workers’ psychological health.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: We aimed at validating a harmonized protocol for monitoring occupational exposure to engineered/incidental nanoparticles (EINP) and to assess their health effects. Materials and Methods: A multicentric prospective cohort study was designed involving repeated field campaigns of 4-day exposure monitoring and two biological samplings, at the beginning (T1) and at the end (T2) of working week. To detect a significant difference in effect biomarkers of at least 25%, a sample size of 120 workers (60 exposed, 60 non-exposed) was determined, along with two control groups, internal and external to company. The protocol feasibility was tested in three countries: Switzerland, Spain, and Italy. Number and mass concentration, morphology, size distribution and surface area of EINP were measured, and effect biomarkers (oxidative stress and inflammation) were assessed in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and/or urine samples. Results: The preliminary results of 42 external controls showed no significant change in effect biomarker levels between T1 and T2, with the exception of malondialdehyde and 8-Isoprostane in EBC. The biomarkers levels were within the ranges reported in healthy adults. The analysis of data and samples collected in 60 exposed workers and 36 internal controls recruited at six EINP-handling facilities are ongoing. Conclusions: These findings confirm the feasibility of the harmonized protocol. For its implementation, a particular effort on organization, coordination and communication between each team was mandatory, particularly during COVID time.