AUTH professor: air pollution increases morbidity and mortality from coronavirus

Long-term morbidity and mortality from coronavirus increases due to air pollution and especially chemical pollutants (ozone, nitrogen dioxide, smog, particulate matter), since they affect the human defence system and reduce the ability of the body’s immune system to react.

Due to this fact, the residents of Athens and Thessaloniki are more at risk of contracting coronavirus than those living in the periphery, but also of losing their lives to it, while at the end of next November it is very likely, in combination with other factors (e.g. dispersion of COVID-19 in the community), that negative developments will be felt in the major cities of Greece with regard to coronavirus, as a consequence of the increase in pollution after the lifting of the lockdown.

Since the beginning of May, when the quarantine ended and until today, the increase in air pollution in Athens and Thessaloniki has reached 30% compared to the same period last year, due to the extensive use of private cars every day by citizens in order to avoid public transport and thus comply with social distance measures. If 10 to 15 years ago we had increased electrification of taxis and cars or had more hybrid cars, the situation in the country today would be better with regard to coronavirus.

As Mr Sarijiannis argues, the number and severity of cases of coronavirus is a combination of factors. Climatic conditions (mainly more sunshine, heat and humidity) reduce the transmissibility of the virus, while contacts, i.e. the observance or not of social distance, play an important role.

According to Mr Sarigiannis, the more frequent use of private cars by citizens after the lifting of the lockdown, in order to avoid using public transport and the crowding within it, caused an increase in air pollution in Athens and Thessaloniki by 30% compared to the same period last year. 

Source. ethnos.gr