New Delhi, India: Dr Randeep Guleria, Director of the All India Institute of Medical Science, stated that air pollution might contribute to more severe instances of COVID cases and respiratory issues.
He also stated that pollution has a significant impact on respiratory health, particularly among individuals with lung disorders and asthma.
According to Dr. Guleria in an interview, pollution and COVID-19 impact the lungs, and excessive levels of air pollution can aggravate the condition, sometimes culminating in a patient’s death.
Due to the bursting of firecrackers despite the prohibition, Delhi’s pollution level spiked on Friday morning following Diwali.
Dr. Guleria told that the pollutants tend to remain on the ground level owing to limited wind movement in the air during October and November, as well as the burning of stubble and the bursting of firecrackers, and so the pollution level rises.
Pollution has a huge effect on respiratory health especially on ppl with lung diseases, asthma as their disease worsens. Pollution can also lead to more severe cases of Covid. Should wear mask as it'll help in protection from both Covid & pollution: Dr Randeep Guleria, AIIMS Dir pic.twitter.com/T02hYub3ku
— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2021
He explained “During this time, respiratory problems aren’t the only thing to worry about. Patients with cardiovascular difficulties, particularly those with underlying lung illness such as chronic bronchitis, COPD, or asthma, have breathing problems and must rely on a nebulizer or their inhaler consumption increases dramatically.
As a result, it’s possible that underlying respiratory problems would worsen.”
He also discussed the two sets of evidence that support the hypothesis that pollution is significantly impacting COVID-19 patients.
“One evidence implies that when pollutants are present in the air, the virus may linger in the air for a longer length of time, turning the sickness into an airborne disease,” Dr. Guleria added.
Pollution induces inflammation and edoema in the lungs, according to other studies analysed during the SARS pandemic in 2003.
The SARS outbreak in 2003 in countries such as the United States and Italy revealed that places with greater levels of pollution had an influence on persons who have already been infected with COVID-19, causing inflammation and lung damage.
