People living in the national capital and in states such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are more likely to contract COVID-19 due to prolonged exposure to high concentration of PM 2.5, according to a new pan-India study.
Sixteen major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Lucknow and Surat, reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases, and PM2.5 emissions are also higher in these areas due to fossil fuel-based anthropogenic activities, it said.
PM2.5 refers to fine particles which penetrate deep into the body and fuel inflammation in the lungs and respiratory tract, leading to the risk of having cardiovascular and respiratory problems, including a weak immune system.
The study conducted in 721 districts across India establishes a strong relationship between the PM2.5 emission load and COVID-19 infections and resulting deaths, according to one of the authors, Gufran Beig, who is the director of the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
Researchers from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar; Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune; National Institute of Technology, Rourkela and IIT-Bhubaneswar studied data related to emissions, air quality and COVID-19 cases and deaths in these districts till November 5 last year.
This study provides the first practical evidence for India that “cities having pollution hotspots where fossil fuel emissions are dominating are highly susceptible to COVID-19 cases”, the findings read.
The study has been named 'Establishing a link between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) zones and COVID -19 over India based on anthropogenic emission sources and air quality data'. Higher numbers of COVID-19 cases have been found in Delhi and states such as Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Bihar, Karnataka, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh with prolonged exposure to the high concentration of PM2.5, the report said.
If the trend of good correlation coefficient persists then communities living in these areas are more likely to get affected by COVID-19, according to the study.