{"id":11470,"date":"2020-06-10t13:14:55","date_gmt":"2020-06-10t13:14:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/the-clouded-relationship-between-air-pollution-and-the-coronavirus\/"},"modified":"2020-06-10t13:14:55","modified_gmt":"2020-06-10t13:14:55","slug":"air-pollution-coronavirus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/air-pollution-coronavirus\/","title":{"rendered":"the clouded relationship between air pollution and the coronavirus"},"content":{"rendered":"
a silver lining of the global pandemic is making headlines across the media: air pollution is decreasing due to social distancing. the darker shadow behind this story is the impact past exposure to air pollution has on our bodies\u2019 responses to the coronavirus. a concerning link has been found between long-term exposure to particulate matter (pm 2.5) and covid-19 death rates in a nationwide study by harvard university researchers<\/a>, awaiting peer review. these findings lead pandemic research as the first current study to reveal air pollution\u2019s impact on the nation’s current health crisis.<\/p>\n at harvard university\u2019s t.h. chan school of public health, researchers analyzed data on pm 2.5 levels and covid-19 deaths. this extensive information came from 3,000 u.s. counties, including up to 98% of the u.s. population, and covered data through april 4. researchers found a 15% higher covid-19 death rate in counties that averaged one microgram per cubic meter more of pm 2.5 in the air.<\/p>\n as the world faces a respiratory virus, it is important to understand that our lungs might not be as strong as we think.<\/p>\n fine particulate matter are tiny chemical particles or droplets in the air that are two and one-half micrometers or less in width. human visibility is limited to particles larger than 40 micrometers. this matter exists in materials like organic dust, airborne bacteria, construction dust, and coal particles from power plants. <\/p>\n