Does Air Pollution Intensify Covid-19?

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) accepted a correlation between air pollution and Covid-19 mortality. Addressing the media, ICMR Director-General Dr Balram Bhargav said that international studies have established that Covid-19 and air pollution can aggravate respiratory disorders and lead to an increase in mortality. Dr Bhargav also quoted a study conducted at Howard Chen Institute in Boston, the US, which has found that the SARS-COV-2 virus remains suspended in PM 2.5 (particulate matter) in most-polluted environments. He further said that given the conditions, rapid and widespread adoption of wearing masks is the only treatment against Covid-19 and pollution. In fact, a study conducted in San Francisco on wildfires and their effect on Covid-19 mortality shows that the wildfire allied pollutants, particulate matter PM-2.5m and CO have a positive association with an increased number of SARS-COV-2 daily cases, cumulative cases and cumulative deaths in San Francisco. Many countries around the world are experiencing high levels of air pollution. How does that impact our body in times of COVID-19? Watch the video.