Corona-measures to reduce air pollution and related deaths, Naturopathy, naturopathic specialist portal

Reduced air pollution through measures to be taken against COVID-19 saves lives

In the past, scientific studies have shown that reduced air pollution improves health significantly. This is now confirmed also during the Corona pandemic. The cleaner air, thanks to the measures to be taken against COVID-19 in many places, in a measurable, reduces the number of premature deaths and asthma in children.

Less road traffic, hardly any planes in the air, throttled power plants: The Lockdown arrangements that have been made in connection with the corona crisis, have reduced the emission of pollutants to the races. This has improved the air quality since the beginning of the Corona pandemic, in some cases significantly. This also has a positive effect on health.

Positive effect on human health

As the Max-Planck-Institute for chemistry in a recent communication, writes, prevent the drastic measures in the fight against the Coronavirus not only the number of potentially deadly COVID-19-cases.

The associated unprecedented economic decline such as in road and air transport, electricity generation or industry, the quality also affects the global air.

The cleaner air, in turn, has a positive effect on human health, an international research team determined that less pollution leads to less premature deaths, especially among adults and asthma in children.

Thousands of deaths premature avoided

“We estimate that in the first two weeks of the lock downs in the world around 7400 premature deaths and 6600 cases of Asthma in children have been avoided,” said Jos Lelieveld, Director at the Max-Planck-Institute for chemistry and one of the authors of a recently published study.

According to the figures, each of the first two weeks of the lock downs were evaluated in the respective countries. Thus, in China alone and India as a result of the lower fine-dust values of about 1,400, respectively, 5.300 premature deaths were avoided cases.

Since these two countries have both the highest pollution values as well as the highest population, you will benefit course significantly most of the pollutants back.

Air pollution, in particular fine dust polluted air shortens life expectancy significantly. It leads to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and affected cases as a result, the number of premature deaths.

Millions of cases of Asthma in children, prevent

The researchers also estimate that worldwide 780.000 premature deaths among adults and 1.6 million asthma cases could be avoided in children. The prerequisite would be, however, that the concentrations of contaminants remained in the air until the end of the year continue to be low.

According to the scientists, these results illustrate the potential health benefits arising from reduced air pollution.

“We do not want to say that the current constraints for the economy are desirable or sustainable. The current Situation shows the importance of the often overlooked global air pollution crisis,“ explains Zander Venter from the Norwegian Institute for nature research in Oslo.

He is the first author of the study, which was recently published on the Preprint Server medRxiv. The manuscript, which was submitted by the research team in a scientific journal, is currently in the review process.

Significant decrease in the quantities of fine dust near the ground
The impact of the forced lock-downs, identified the researchers, by evaluating data from satellites and from more than 10,000 measuring stations in 27 countries, including several European countries such as Germany and Spain, but also from China and Chile.

According to the data, it has reduced air pollution, respectively, in the first two weeks of the lock downs in the middle of about 20 percent.

However, the researchers noted, scientists, in some countries, a significant decline in nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particulates close to the ground.

Air pollution also reduce to the corona crisis

In order to bring the data from the air quality with the premature deaths in connection, specific to the researchers, the pollution with nitrogen dioxide,ozone, and fine particulate matter (PM2. 5), initially in the respective countries.

Then the professionals using epidemiological methods calculated the daily health of stress related to the density of population per country.

The number of until the end of the year, avoidable deaths and new asthma, according to the communication of forecast about how the concentrations of nitrogen oxides, ozone and fine dust until the end of the year would change if the restrictions were to continue.

Because a long-term reduction of air pollutants significantly positive health impact as a reduction for two weeks, increased the Numbers of avoidable premature deaths among adults and asthma diseases in children up to the end of the year disproportionately.

“To reduce the air pollution even after the corona crisis in the long term, we should aim for the exit from the combustion of fossil fuels,” says Jos Lelieveld. “This would not only improve the health of people around the world, but in the medium term, protect the climate.“ (ad)