tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Respir Med
. 2021 Jan 26;178:106313.
doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2021.106313. Online ahead of print.
Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and hospitalization in COVID-19 patients
Angelico Mendy[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiao Wu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jason L Keller[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Cecily S Fassler[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Senu Apewokin[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Tesfaye B Mersha[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Changchun Xie[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Susan M Pinney[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Ecological evidence suggests that exposure to air pollution affects coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. However, no individual-level study has confirmed the association to date.
Methods: We identified COVID-19 patients diagnosed at the University of Cincinnati hospitals and clinics and estimated particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB]) exposure over a 10-year period (2008-2017) at their residential zip codes. We used logistic regression to evaluate the association between PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] exposure and hospitalizations for COVID-19, adjusting for socioeconomic characteristics and comorbidities.
Results: Among the 1128 patients included in our study, the mean (standard deviation) PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] was 11.34 (0.70) μg/m[SUP]3[/SUP] for the 10-year average exposure and 13.83 (1.03) μg/m[SUP]3[/SUP] for the 10-year maximal exposures. The association between long-term PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] exposure and hospitalization for COVID-19 was contingent upon having pre-existing asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD) (P[SUB]interaction[/SUB] = 0.030 for average PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] and P[SUB]interaction[/SUB] = 0.001 for maximal PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB]). In COVID-19 patients with asthma or COPD, the odds of hospitalization were 62% higher with 1 μg/m[SUP]3[/SUP] increment in 10-year average PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] (odds ratio [OR]: 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-2.64) and 65% higher with 1 μg/m[SUP]3[/SUP] increase in 10-year maximal PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] levels (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.16-2.35). However, among COVID-19 patients without asthma or COPD, PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] exposure was not associated with higher hospitalizations (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.65-1.09 for average PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] and OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.65-0.95 for maximal PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB]).
Conclusions: Long-term exposure to PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] is associated with higher odds of hospitalization in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing asthma or COPD.
Keywords: Air pollution; COVID-19; Fine particulate matter; PM(2.5); SARS-CoV-2.
. 2021 Jan 26;178:106313.
doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2021.106313. Online ahead of print.
Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and hospitalization in COVID-19 patients
Angelico Mendy[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiao Wu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jason L Keller[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Cecily S Fassler[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Senu Apewokin[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Tesfaye B Mersha[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Changchun Xie[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Susan M Pinney[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33550152
- PMCID: PMC7835077
- DOI: 10.1016/j.rmed.2021.106313
Abstract
Background: Ecological evidence suggests that exposure to air pollution affects coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. However, no individual-level study has confirmed the association to date.
Methods: We identified COVID-19 patients diagnosed at the University of Cincinnati hospitals and clinics and estimated particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB]) exposure over a 10-year period (2008-2017) at their residential zip codes. We used logistic regression to evaluate the association between PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] exposure and hospitalizations for COVID-19, adjusting for socioeconomic characteristics and comorbidities.
Results: Among the 1128 patients included in our study, the mean (standard deviation) PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] was 11.34 (0.70) μg/m[SUP]3[/SUP] for the 10-year average exposure and 13.83 (1.03) μg/m[SUP]3[/SUP] for the 10-year maximal exposures. The association between long-term PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] exposure and hospitalization for COVID-19 was contingent upon having pre-existing asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD) (P[SUB]interaction[/SUB] = 0.030 for average PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] and P[SUB]interaction[/SUB] = 0.001 for maximal PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB]). In COVID-19 patients with asthma or COPD, the odds of hospitalization were 62% higher with 1 μg/m[SUP]3[/SUP] increment in 10-year average PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] (odds ratio [OR]: 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00-2.64) and 65% higher with 1 μg/m[SUP]3[/SUP] increase in 10-year maximal PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] levels (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.16-2.35). However, among COVID-19 patients without asthma or COPD, PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] exposure was not associated with higher hospitalizations (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.65-1.09 for average PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] and OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.65-0.95 for maximal PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB]).
Conclusions: Long-term exposure to PM[SUB]2.5[/SUB] is associated with higher odds of hospitalization in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing asthma or COPD.
Keywords: Air pollution; COVID-19; Fine particulate matter; PM(2.5); SARS-CoV-2.