Ambient Fine Particulate Matter and COVID-19 in India

ABSTRACT

We examine the correlation between COVID-19 case activity and air pollution in two cities of Delhi and Mumbai in India. Data regarding air quality index (AQI) of PM2.5 and PM10 from Delhi and Mumbai were collected between July and November 2020. Within the same time period, confirmed cases and daily deaths due to COVID-19 in these two cities were also recorded. AQI levels in Delhi were worst in November (PM2.5 446 ± 144.6 µg/m3;PM10 318 ± 131.7 µg/m3) and were significantly higher as compared to Mumbai (PM2.5 130 ± 41.2 µg/m3;PM10 86 ± 21.2 µg/m3). This correlated with greater number of cases and higher mortality in Delhi (cases 6243;deaths 85) relative to Mumbai (cases 1526;deaths 35) during the same time period. This observational study shows that air pollution is associated with poor outcomes in patients with COVID-19. There is an urgent unmet need for appropriate public health measures to decrease air pollution along with strict policy change. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.