Association between Short-Term Exposure to Air Pollution and COVID-19 Mortality: A Population-Based Case-Crossover Study Using Individual-Level Mortality Registry Confirmed by Medical Examiners.
Environ Health Perspect
; 130(11): 117006, 2022 Nov.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2117113
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Studies have suggested links between ambient air pollution and coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) mortality, yet confirmation by well-designed epidemiological studies with individual data is needed.OBJECTIVES:
We aimed to examine whether short-term exposure to air pollution is associated with risk of mortality from COVID-19 for those infected with COVID-19.METHODS:
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office reports individual-level data for deaths from COVID-19 that occur in its jurisdiction, which includes all confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Cook County, Illinois. Case-crossover analysis was conducted to estimate the associations of estimated short-term exposures to particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5µm (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) on the day of death and up to 21 d before death at location of death with COVID-19. A total of 7,462 deaths from COVID-19 that occurred up to 28 February 2021 were included in the final analysis. We adjusted for potential confounders by time-stratified case-crossover design and by covariate adjustments (i.e., time-invariant factors, meteorological factors, viral transmission, seasonality, and time trend).RESULTS:
Of the 7,462 case and 25,457 self-control days, almost all were days with exposure levels below the PM2.5 24-h National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) (35 µg/m3); 98.9% had O3 levels below the maximum 8-h NAAQS (35.7 µg/m3 or 70 parts per billion). An interquartile range (IQR) increase (5.2 µg/m3) in cumulative 3-wk PM2.5 exposure was associated with a 69.6% [95% confidence interval (CI) 34.6, 113.8] increase in risk of COVID-19 mortality. An IQR increase (8.2 µg/m3) in 3-d O3 exposure was associated with a 29.0% (95% CI 9.9, 51.5) increase in risk of COVID-19 mortality. The associations differed by demographics or race/ethnicity. There was indication of modification of the associations by some comorbid conditions.DISCUSSION:
Short-term exposure to air pollution below the NAAQS may increase the mortality burden from COVID-19. https//doi.org/10.1289/EHP10836.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Air Pollutants
/
Air Pollution
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Environ Health Perspect
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
EHP10836
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