Air pollution exposure linked to longer hospital stay in patients with COVID-19

Key takeaways:

• The likelihood for poor outcomes in hospitalization increased with high levels of air pollution prior to illness.
• These findings demonstrate the need to advocate for clean air standards to protect patients.

Exposure to elevated levels of air pollutants before COVID-19 hospitalization increased length of hospital stay and risk for ICU admission, according to study results published in European Respiratory Journal.

Tim S. Nawrot

“We knew before COVID that the ventilation duration of ICU patients (hospitalized for various reasons) was associated with pre-admission air pollution levels, so in this context, the results are not surprising,” Tim S. Nawrot, PhD, professor of environmental epidemiology at Hasselt University in Belgium, told Healio.

Nawrot, however, said it was “striking” to find that air pollution factors into determining disease severity when it comes to the severe inflammatory response of COVID-19.

Nawrot and colleagues analyzed 328 adults (mean age, 65.7 years; 43.6% women) who were hospitalized with COVID-19 between May 2020 and March 2021 to determine if length of hospital stay and risk for being admitted into the ICU are linked to PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide and black carbon exposure, as well as the presence of black carbon particles in blood.

Using residential addresses of each patient, researchers collected their exposure levels to each type of pollutant at three different time periods: 2 days prior to hospitalization, 1 week prior to hospitalization and levels averaged from 2016 to 2019. Additionally, a pul

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
• SDG 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
• SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Length of hospital stay
• Risk for ICU admission
• Exposure levels to PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide, and black carbon

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: healio.com

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