Covid-19: Group rejects direct link with air pollution

In a statement endorsed by the Italian environmental protection agency ISPRA, 70 members of the Italian Aerosol Society argued the assertion is “partial and premature” and more in-depth investigation is needed to support it.

The claim was made last week in a widely cited analysis by the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA) and the Universities of Bologna and Bari. According to the paper, air pollution in urban areas could put citizens at greater risk from coronavirus, as poor air quality causes hypertension, diabetes and respiratory diseases, all conditions linked to mortality from the pandemic.