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Long-term exposure to air pollution and severe COVID-19 in Catalonia: a population-based cohort study

Author

Listed:
  • Otavio Ranzani

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP))

  • Anna Alari

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP))

  • Sergio Olmos

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP))

  • Carles Milà

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP))

  • Alex Rico

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP))

  • Joan Ballester

    (ISGlobal)

  • Xavier Basagaña

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP))

  • Carlos Chaccour

    (ISGlobal
    Universidad de Navarra
    CIBER Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC))

  • Payam Dadvand

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP))

  • Talita Duarte-Salles

    (Fundació Institut Universitari per a la recerca a l’Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol))

  • Maria Foraster

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP)
    PHAGEX Research Group, Blanquerna School of Health Science, Universitat Ramon Llull (URL))

  • Mark Nieuwenhuijsen

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP))

  • Jordi Sunyer

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP))

  • Antònia Valentín

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP))

  • Manolis Kogevinas

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP))

  • Uxue Lazcano

    (Grupo Atención Primaria
    Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS))

  • Carla Avellaneda-Gómez

    (Consorci Sanitari Integral)

  • Rosa Vivanco

    (Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS))

  • Cathryn Tonne

    (ISGlobal
    Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
    CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP))

Abstract

The association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollutants and severe COVID-19 is uncertain. We followed 4,660,502 adults from the general population in 2020 in Catalonia, Spain. Cox proportional models were fit to evaluate the association between annual averages of PM2.5, NO2, BC, and O3 at each participant’s residential address and severe COVID-19. Higher exposure to PM2.5, NO2, and BC was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 hospitalization, ICU admission, death, and hospital length of stay. An increase of 3.2 µg/m3 of PM2.5 was associated with a 19% (95% CI, 16–21) increase in hospitalizations. An increase of 16.1 µg/m3 of NO2 was associated with a 42% (95% CI, 30–55) increase in ICU admissions. An increase of 0.7 µg/m3 of BC was associated with a 6% (95% CI, 0–13) increase in deaths. O3 was positively associated with severe outcomes when adjusted by NO2. Our study contributes robust evidence that long-term exposure to air pollutants is associated with severe COVID-19.

Suggested Citation

  • Otavio Ranzani & Anna Alari & Sergio Olmos & Carles Milà & Alex Rico & Joan Ballester & Xavier Basagaña & Carlos Chaccour & Payam Dadvand & Talita Duarte-Salles & Maria Foraster & Mark Nieuwenhuijsen , 2023. "Long-term exposure to air pollution and severe COVID-19 in Catalonia: a population-based cohort study," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-38469-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38469-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Edward Burn & Cristian Tebé & Sergio Fernandez-Bertolin & Maria Aragon & Martina Recalde & Elena Roel & Albert Prats-Uribe & Daniel Prieto-Alhambra & Talita Duarte-Salles, 2021. "The natural history of symptomatic COVID-19 during the first wave in Catalonia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yuan Wang & Yuanjian Yang & Qiangqiang Yuan & Tongwen Li & Yi Zhou & Lian Zong & Mengya Wang & Zunyi Xie & Hung Chak Ho & Meng Gao & Shilu Tong & Simone Lolli & Liangpei Zhang, 2025. "Substantially underestimated global health risks of current ozone pollution," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, December.

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