Examining the Intersection of Air Pollution Exposure and COVID-19: Opportunities and Challenges for Research

摘要

The extraordinary changes taking place during the COVID- 19 pandemic offer substantial opportunities for innovative air pollution and health studies that could significantly advance understanding on this important public health topic. In pursuing those opportunities, we caution that there should be no compromise to rigorous research and statistical design, data quality assurances, or independent peer review. Moreover, policy actions are best not based on results from one or even a handful of studies, but rather must be informed by a body of evidence that demonstrates some consistency of findings. Meanwhile, the global burden of disease from air pollution is very large and there is now broad expert consensus that exposure to air pollution causes a range of adverse health effects, providing ample evidence for governments to act to reduce air pollution. If effects of air pollution on COVID-19 have been established more clearly, there will be a further public-health-driven stimulus to pursue air quality policies.