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Deregulation in a Time of Pandemic: Does Pollution Increase Coronavirus Cases or Deaths?

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  • Persico, Claudia L.

    (American University)

  • Johnson, Kathryn R.

    (American University)

Abstract

The COVID-19 virus, also known as the coronavirus, is currently spreading around the world. While a growing literature suggests that exposure to pollution can cause respiratory illness and increase deaths among the elderly, little is known about whether increases in pollution could cause additional or more severe infections from COVID-19, which typically manifests as a respiratory infection. Using variation in pollution induced by a rollback of enforcement of environmental regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a difference in differences design, we estimate the effects of increased pollution on county-level COVID-19 deaths and cases. Despite popular media coverage to the contrary, we find that counties with more Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) sites saw increases in pollution following the EPA's rollback of enforcement, while counties with fewer sites saw a smaller increase in pollution. We find that increases in pollution are associated with increases in cases and deaths from COVID-19.

Suggested Citation

  • Persico, Claudia L. & Johnson, Kathryn R., 2020. "Deregulation in a Time of Pandemic: Does Pollution Increase Coronavirus Cases or Deaths?," IZA Discussion Papers 13231, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13231
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    Cited by:

    1. Hung-Hao Chang & Chad Meyerhoefer & Feng-An Yang, 2020. "COVID-19 Prevention and Air Pollution in the Absence of a Lockdown," NBER Working Papers 27604, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. von Hinke, Stephanie & Sørensen, Emil N., 2023. "The long-term effects of early-life pollution exposure: Evidence from the London smog," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    3. Isphording, Ingo E. & Pestel, Nico, 2021. "Pandemic meets pollution: Poor air quality increases deaths by COVID-19," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    4. Jill Furzer & Boriana Miloucheva, 2020. "The Long Arm of the Clean Air Act: Pollution Abatement and COVID-19 Racial Disparities," Working Papers tecipa-668, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.
    5. Marshall Burke & Anne Driscoll & Jenny Xue & Sam Heft-Neal & Jennifer Burney & Michael Wara, 2020. "The Changing Risk and Burden of Wildfire in the US," NBER Working Papers 27423, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Christopher F Baum & Miguel Henry, 2020. "Socioeconomic Factors influencing the Spatial Spread of COVID-19 in the United States," London Stata Conference 2020 05, Stata Users Group.
    7. Stephen C. Newbold & David Finnoff & Linda Thunström & Madison Ashworth & Jason F. Shogren, 2020. "Effects of Physical Distancing to Control COVID-19 on Public Health, the Economy, and the Environment," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 76(4), pages 705-729, August.
    8. Gibson, John & Johnson, David & Alexi, Thompson, 2020. "Close Encounters of a Heterogeneous Kind: Understanding the Differential Impact of Social Distancing on COVID-19 Infections and Deaths," MPRA Paper 104464, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Wes Austin & Stefano Carattini & John Gomez Mahecha & Michael Pesko, 2020. "COVID-19 Mortality and Contemporaneous Air Pollution," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper2016, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    health; pollution; COVID-19; coronavirus; mortality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality

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