The European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) warned on Monday 16 March that citizens living in polluted cities are at greater risk of severe pneumonia if they contract the new coronavirus.
EPHA points out that air pollution can cause hypertension, diabetes and respiratory disease, conditions that doctors are starting to link to higher mortality rates for Covid-19. A 2003 study of SARS coronavirus victims found that patients in areas with moderate air pollution are 84% more likely to die than those in areas with low air pollution, the NGO said in a statement.
"Petrol and especially diesel vehicle fumes remain a serious problem. Even the latest diesel engines emit dangerous levels of pollution. Patients with chronic lung and heart conditions caused or worsened by long-term exposure to air pollution are less able to fight off lung infections and are more likely to die. That's likely also the case with Covid-19. By lowering air pollution levels, we can help the most vulnerable in their fight against this and any possible future pandemic", says Dr Sara De Matteis of the European Respiratory Society, which is a member of EPHA. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)