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A Review of the Role of Pollen in COVID-19 Infection

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  • Nur Sabrina Idrose

    (Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia
    Centre for Food and Allergy Research, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia)

  • Jingwen Zhang

    (Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia)

  • Caroline J. Lodge

    (Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia)

  • Bircan Erbas

    (School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia)

  • Jo A. Douglass

    (Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3050, Australia
    Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia)

  • Dinh S. Bui

    (Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia)

  • Shyamali C. Dharmage

    (Allergy and Lung Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Carlton, Melbourne, VIC 3053, Australia
    Centre for Food and Allergy Research, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia)

Abstract

There is current interest in the role of ambient pollen in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) infection risk. The aim of this review is to summarise studies published up until January 2023 investigating the relationship between airborne pollen and the risk of COVID-19 infection. We found conflicting evidence, with some studies showing that pollen may increase the risk of COVID-19 infection by acting as a carrier, while others showed that pollen may reduce the risk by acting as an inhibiting factor. A few studies reported no evidence of an association between pollen and the risk of infection. A major limiting factor of this research is not being able to determine whether pollen contributed to the susceptibility to infection or just the expression of symptoms. Hence, more research is needed to better understand this highly complex relationship. Future investigations should consider individual and sociodemographic factors as potential effect modifiers when investigating these associations. This knowledge will help to identify targeted interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Nur Sabrina Idrose & Jingwen Zhang & Caroline J. Lodge & Bircan Erbas & Jo A. Douglass & Dinh S. Bui & Shyamali C. Dharmage, 2023. "A Review of the Role of Pollen in COVID-19 Infection," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-9, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:10:p:5805-:d:1145588
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Thomas Hale & Noam Angrist & Rafael Goldszmidt & Beatriz Kira & Anna Petherick & Toby Phillips & Samuel Webster & Emily Cameron-Blake & Laura Hallas & Saptarshi Majumdar & Helen Tatlow, 2021. "A global panel database of pandemic policies (Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker)," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(4), pages 529-538, April.
    2. Hiroshi Yamaguchi & Kandai Nozu & Shinya Ishiko & Atsushi Kondo & Takeshi Ninchoji & China Nagano & Hiroki Takeda & Ai Unzaki & Kazuto Ishibashi & Ichiro Morioka & Hiroaki Nagase & Kazumoto Iijima & A, 2021. "Impact of the State of Emergency during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 on Asthma Exacerbations among Children in Kobe City, Japan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-19, October.
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