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Effects Of Climate Change And Air Pollution On Covid-19

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Question 1: Was the Corona-virus disease (COVID-19) an opportunity to increase people

sensitivity to the global crises such as air pollution and "climate change"

Attention to the world's interconnection and systems vulnerabilities, including those

associated with public health, economics, and the environment, has been suddenly brought by the

COVID-19 pandemic (Meludu and Abolade 2021). As the pandemic spread, people learned how

global crises, including climate change and air pollution, can affect human health and well-being.

Furthermore, the pandemic has positively impacted the environment by decreasing industrial

activities and transportation and reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

However, significant social and economic upheavals have been caused by the pandemic

making it difficult for individuals and organizations to prioritize environmental issues (Zebardast

and Radaei 2022). In addition, the pandemic has revealed existing inequalities and vulnerabilities

in society that must be addressed before making progress on climate change concerns.

Although the pandemic itself is not an opportunity, it has been presented to individuals

enabling them to reflect on the world's interconnectedness and recognize the importance of

acting in addressing global crises (Meludu and Abolade 2021). Links between environmental

degradation, public health and human activity have been highlighted. Temporary air pollution

and greenhouse gas emissions reduction resulted from several industries' shutdowns and

decreased human activities (Zebardast and Radaei 2022). The need for global cooperation and

action to address crises, including climate change, got recognized.

Question 2: Does climate change affect the transmission of coronavirus?

Research is ongoing to determine the association between climate change and

coronavirus transmission. However, some studies suggest climatic factors have a significant role

in the spread of the virus (Fan et al., 2020). For instance, it is observed that the virus spreads
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easily in low-humidity areas that are linked to dry and cold weather conditions (Ching and

Kajino 2020). The cold weather conditions weaken the human immune system making

individuals susceptible to infection.

In other situations, it is noted that increased UV radiation and high temperatures from the

sun have detrimental effects on the virus by reducing its survival time on surfaces and the air.

However, research is still ongoing because it needs to be clear how these factors affect virus

transmission (Ching and Kajino 2020). Therefore, as there can be a relationship between climate

change and virus transmission, it is significant to note that the primary mode of transmission is

through person-to-person contact and the public health guidelines, including wearing masks,

social distancing and washing hands regularly, are important (Fan et al., 2020).

Question 3: Does air pollution increase the risk of getting coronavirus? Does it make

symptoms worse?

Some evidence suggests that air pollution can increase the risk of contracting COVID-19,

worsening the symptoms (Ali and Islam 2020). Air pollution causes inflammation of the

respiratory system and weakens the immune system making individuals more susceptible to

respiratory infections like COVID-19. According to research, the increased severity of COVID-

19 symptoms is caused by long-term exposure to air pollution that is related to an increased risk

of respiratory infection (Travaglio et al., 2021).

Furthermore, air pollution worsens underlying health conditions, including asthma,

COPD, and heart diseases, increasing the risk of COVID-19 complications (Travaglio et al.,

2021). However, it is important to note that COVID-19 cans spread through respiratory droplets

from an infected person; thus, maintaining social distancing and reducing air pollution can have

long-term benefits (Ali and Islam 2020).

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Question 4: Can you identify the communities most at-risk, and how and why both

COVID-19 and climate change harms them?

Some of the communities at the most risk due to COVID-19 and climate change include:

1. Elderly persons, older adults, especially those with underlying health conditions, are at

high risk of illness or death from COVID-19 (Adepoju et al., 2022).

2. Individuals with underlying health conditions; individuals with conditions including heart

disease, diabetes, compromised immune system and obesity at higher risk (Frontera et al.,

2021).

3. Low-income and marginalized communities, people living in poverty and people

experiencing homelessness may lack access to nutrition, sanitation, and adequate

healthcare (Adepoju et al., 2022). They can experience severe illness and death when

exposed to COVID-19.

4. Frontline and significant workers, healthcare workers, first responders, and grocery store

clerks may be at a high risk of exposure to COVID-19.

5. Communities of colour; research shows that communities of colour, partially Black and

Latin communities, have been disproportionally affected by COVID-19 due to the

systemic inequalities that result in limited healthcare and increased underlying health

conditions (Rahman et al., 2021).

6. Coastal communities the rising sea levels and frequent and severe storms place

communities in coastal areas at risk of flooding, displacement and destruction of homes

and infrastructure (Rahman et al., 2021).

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7. Low-income and marginalized communities; due to COVID-19, these communities are

hit by climate change leading to limited access to resources and infrastructure (Adepoju

et al., 2022).

8. Urban communities; urban areas have high temperatures and increased air pollution

leading to health problems (Frontera et al., 2021).

Question 5: Why is it so important for health officials to talk about climate change now?

It is essential for health officials to address climate change issue due to its significant

implications for public health. Some of the importance of addressing climate change issues are

inclusive of:

1. Climate change is already affecting public health; it causes an increase in extreme

weather events such as floods, droughts, heatwaves and storms.

2. Climate change mitigation measures have health benefits, such as increasing energy

efficiency, reducing transportation and industry emissions and promoting renewable

energy (Krieger 2020).

3. Climate change is expected to exacerbate existing health problems; climate change can

worsen health problems such as infectious diseases, mental health disorders and

respiratory diseases.

4. Health officials have a duty to protect public health; by addressing climate change, health

officials can help reduce the risk associated with climate change and protect the health

and well-being of their communities (Krieger 2020).

Question 6: COVID-19 is killing people now and climate change is killing people now. The

scale of actions to combat them are starkly different. Why? Is climate change too expensive

to fix?
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COVID-19 and climate change are pressing issues affecting the world. However, the

action needed to combat them is different for several reasons:

Firstly, COVID-19 is an urgent concern that requires immediate action to prevent its

spread, thus saving lives. The government and organizations have responded quickly by

implementing contact tracing, lockdowns and vaccination programs (Hulme 2014). On the other

hand, climate change is a long-term threat that requires a sustained effort to mitigate its impacts.

Its solutions are complex and require fundamental changes in how we consume and produce

energy, transport, and food. This transition takes time, resources and effort to achieve.

In addition, the cost of addressing each issue brings a difference. The cost of addressing

COVID-19 is seen as a short-term expense necessary for saving lives and preventing the collapse

of healthcare systems. In contrast, the cost of addressing climate is perceived to be high and can

hurt economic growth (Hulme 2014). Therefore, the action needed in combating COVID-19 and

climate change is different, although both events require attention.

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References

Adepoju, O. E., Han, D., Chae, M., Smith, K. L., Gilbert, L., Choudhury, S., & Woodard, L.

(2022). Health disparities and climate change: the intersection of three disaster events on

vulnerable communities in Houston, Texas. International journal of environmental

research and public health, Moser, S. C. (2014). Communicating adaptation to climate

change: the art and science of public engagement when climate change comes

home. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 5(3), 337-358.19(1), 35.

Ali, N., & Islam, F. (2020). The effects of air pollution on COVID-19 infection and mortality—

A review on recent evidence. Frontiers in public health, 8, 580057.

Ching, J., & Kajino, M. (2020). Rethinking air quality and climate change after COVID-

19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14), 5167.

Fan, J. L., Da, Y., Zeng, B., Zhang, H., Liu, Z., Jia, N., ... & Zhang, X. (2020). How do weather

and climate change impact the COVID-19 pandemic? Evidence from the Chinese

mainland. Environmental Research Letters, 16(1), 014026.

Frontera, A., Cianfanelli, L., Vlachos, K., Landoni, G., & Cremona, G. (2020). Severe air

pollution links to higher mortality in COVID-19 patients: The “double-hit”

hypothesis. Journal of Infection, 81(2), 255-259.

Hulme, M. (2014). Can science fix climate change?: A case against climate engineering. John

Wiley & Sons.

Krieger, N. (2020). ENOUGH: COVID-19, structural racism, police brutality, plutocracy,

climate change—and time for health justice, democratic governance, and an equitable,

sustainable future. American Journal of Public Health, 110(11), 1620-1623.

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Meludu, N. T., & Abolade, T. (2021). Corona Virus, Climate Change, and Food Security.

In African handbook of climate change adaptation (pp. 563-579). Cham: Springer

International Publishing.

Rahman, M. M., Bodrud-Doza, M., Shammi, M., Islam, A. R. M. T., & Khan, A. S. M. (2021).

COVID-19 pandemic, dengue epidemic, and climate change vulnerability in Bangladesh:

Scenario assessment for strategic management and policy implications. Environmental

research, 192, 110303.

Travaglio, M., Yu, Y., Popovic, R., Selley, L., Leal, N. S., & Martins, L. M. (2021). Links

between air pollution and COVID-19 in England. Environmental pollution, 268, 115859.

Zebardast, L., & Radaei, M. (2022). The influence of global crises on reshaping pro-

environmental behavior, case study: the COVID-19 pandemic. Science of The Total

Environment, 811, 151436.