The study looked at nitrogen dioxide pollution data in parts of Europe, and found that regions with a high number of COVID-19 deaths had high levels of nitrogen dioxide and low levels of air movement.
Dirtier Air May Bring More COVID-19 Deaths
WEDNESDAY, April 22, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Parts of Europe with consistently high levels of air pollution have higher COVID-19 death rates, a new study finds.
The study compared confirmed COVID-19 deaths with air quality data, including satellite readings of nitrogen dioxide air pollution.
Nitrogen dioxide damages the respiratory tract and is known to cause many types of respiratory and heart diseases, according to study author Yaron Ogen. He's a postdoctoral researcher at Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, in Germany.