The Relation of Air Pollution on Morbidity and Mortality of SARS CoV 2 Infection in Tekirdag, Türkiye

Gamze  Varol; Burcu  Tokuç; Ülfiye  Çelikkalp; Nilay  Etiler

doi:10.18502/ijph.v54i11.20390

Gamze Varol Department of Public Health, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University School of Medicine, Tekirdağ, Türkiye
Burcu Tokuç Department of Public Health, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University School of Medicine, Tekirdağ, Türkiye
Ülfiye Çelikkalp Department of Public Health, Trakya University School of Medicine, Edirne, Türkiye
Nilay Etiler Public Health Practice Department, School of Public Health, University of Okan, İstanbul, Türkiye

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v54i11.20390

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Air pollution; Mortality

Abstract

Background: We aimed to investigate the relation between environmental air pollutants such as Particulate Matter 10 (PM₁₀), Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM_2.5), Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂) on daily cases and deaths associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: The ecological research examined the correlations of the air quality metrics and the data of COVID-19 cases and deaths from March 1, 2020 to March 1, 2021 in the central District of Tekirdağ Province in Türkiye.

Results: During the study period, the average PM₁₀ concentration was 32.57±17.86 µg/m³, PM_2.5 was 20.68±11.31 µg/m³, SO₂ was 11.28±13.42 µg/m³, and NO₂ was 19.07±7.26 µg/m³. The SARS-CoV-2 case fatality rate in the study area during this period was 3.2%. Correlation analyses between air pollutants and SARS-CoV-2 cases and deaths revealed significant positive associations between SARS-CoV-2 cases (r=0.220 for PM₁₀, P<0.001; r=0.290 for PM_2.5, P<0.001; r=0.218 for SO₂, P<0.001) and deaths (r=0.203 for PM₁₀, P<0.001; r=0.289 for PM_2.5, P<0.001; r=0.278 for SO2, P<0.001). Moreover, regression analysis revealed that ambient sulfur dioxide (SO_₂) levels significantly predicted both COVID-19 incidence and mortality.

Conclusion: PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and SO₂, key parameters for assessing air quality, exhibit a positive relationship with the increasing number of daily SARS-CoV-2 cases and daily deaths in the study area.