Significant risk factors for severe illness and fatality include age and male gender, as well as the existence of respiratory conditions and other comorbidities. Exposure to air pollution is also of importance, as it is pro-inflammatory and effects the human immune system, therefore influencing the severity of respiratory disorders.
Higher pollution levels have been linked to an increased risk of serious illness and COVID-19-related mortality in the majority of research exploring the link between air pollution and the outcomes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. Nevertheless, only a small number of research at the individual level have evaluated the impact of chronic air pollution on COVID-19 mortality.
Researchers used information from the National Statistics (ONS) Public Health Data Asset of the Office in the current investigation (PHDA). The National Health Service (NHS) Test and Trace national testing data, mortality records, the 2011 Census, General Practice Extraction Service (GPES) data for pandemic research and planning, Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) for the clinically susceptible, healthcare professionals, and the general population, are all combined in the ONS PHDA.
1,398,976 validated COVID-19-positive cases were recorded in London between September 1, 2020, and December 12, 2021; 756,363 of these instances were connected to the ONS PHDA. After applying the inclusion criteria for the study, 737,356 distinct records made up the final cohort, 9,315 of which were fatalities associated with COVID-19.
The study’s main finding was COVID-19 mortality, which was defined as a confirmed or likely COVID-19 death as stated on the death certificate. Nitric oxide (NOx), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), and particulate matter 10 (PM10) average annual concentrations for 2016 were collected from the London Data Store.
