EPA defends refusal to weigh soot, COVID-19 deaths links

摘要

As daily COVID-19 deaths in the United States surge to new highs, EPA officials continue to defend theirdecision not to fully consider evidence of a link between national soot standards and increased mortality."There are many variables related to COVID-19 health outcomes, and, as COVID-19 is an emerging disease,there are still many unknowns," they wrote in an unsigned rebuttal recently posted on an agency website."Understanding the links between air pollution exposure and COVID outcomes is a complicated process that willtake many years." While EPA did provisionally consider some studies, the findings "do not materially alter ourunderstanding of the scientific evidence or the agency's conclusions," they added.