The COVID-19 Pandemic: New Knowledge on the Impact of Air Quality on the Spread of Coronavirus Infection in Cities.

Suspended substances in the air form clusters with coronavirus particles and spread up to 10 m from the source of infection. The importance of taking air pollution into account when simulating the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is due to the similarity in the health impacts made by the coronavirus and the respirable fraction of suspended solids. In Europe, up to 6.6% of deaths and in China up to 11% of deaths from COVID-19 are due to ambient air pollution. In epidemiological models, this factor must be considered along with other reasons for the development of coronavirus infection. In Russian cities, increased air pollution can be one of the risk factors for the development of an epidemic.

[Hazard assessment of the impact of high temperature and air pollution on public health in Moscow].

In the article there are considered the main problems of assessing public health risks of the combined effects of high temperatures and air pollution with the account taken of the consequences of abnormally hot weather observed in summer 2010 in Moscow and without equals in the history of meteorological measurements in the city. The daily average concentrations of fine suspended particles matter (PM10) in the city during peatland fires from 4 to 9 August are emphasized to be within the range of 431-906 µ/m3, being 7.2-15.1 times the Russian maximum permissible concentration (MPCs) (60 µ/m3). The anomalous heat and high levels of air pollution in this period were shown to cause a significant increase in excess mortality among the population of Moscow. There was established the relative gain in mortality from all natural causes per 10 µg/m3 increase in daily average concentrations of PM10 and ozone, which was respectively: 0.47% (95%; CI: 0.31-0.63) and 0.41% (95%; CI: 0.31-1.13). On the base of the statistical analysis of daily mortality rates, meteorological indices, the concentrations of PM10 and ozone there was developed marking scale for the risk assessment of these indices accordingly to 4 gradings--low (permissible), warning, alert, and a hazard level. There has been substantiated the importance of the introduction of the system for the early alert for hazard weather events and the unified rating scale for the hazard of high air temperatures and high levels of air pollution with PM10 and ozone, which allows to take timely measures for the protection of the public health.

[Climate conditions and ambient air quality as risk factors for mortality in Moscow].

Analysis of time rows (daily values of mortality, temperature and pollution of ambient air) proved that present climate warming in Moscow, more subnormally hot and cold days influences level of mortality with all causes except external - with cardiovascular diseases (IHD, angina pectoris, cerebrovascular diseases including cerebrovascular accidents), chronic diseases of lower respiratory tract including bronchial asthma - especially in older age group. Heat waves are associated with significantly increased mortality. Zone of temperature comfort for Moscow, associated with minimal mortality values, is within -20 to +20 C interval.