As the world is stopped temporarily but abruptly in its steps by a pandemic, it becomes necessary to investigate events as they happen. As with other unpredictable events, such as stock market fluctuations and natural disasters, real-time observation provides a record of the phenomenon, increases our knowledge and therefore our preparedness in the case similar situations arise in the future. The current research of Prof. Yves MUSCAT BARON, Head of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Mater Dei Hospital, deals with factors that act in conjunction with the COVID-19 virus, affecting transmission and therefore also rates of infection and fatality.
Such a factor may be a pollutant commonly found in the air in and around urban environments, known as PM2.51 . Air pollution is the 6th leading cause of death worldwide, and PM2.5 is a significant contributor to this as it is inhaled into the lungs, from where it penetrates into the body, potentially resulting in heart disease and premature death.
However, it has also been observed that there is a correlation between areas with dangerous PM2.5 levels and the infection and mortality rates by COVID-19, strongly suggesting a link between the two. It might be due to the fact that the viruses attach to PM2.5 that is then inhaled, making PM2.5 a significant factor in transmission and infection by COVID-19. Additionally, cities with elevated train platforms have lower mortality rates in general than cities with subways or underground platforms. This may be because the amount of PM2.5 in underground air is higher than that on ground level, together with the plain reason that social distancing and contact in subways is impractical, if not impossible
Another factor that might be significant for effective COVID-19 transmission is airborne sea salt, especially abundant along seashores and any human settlements in the area. The COVID-19 virus has features that are incompatible with the chemistry of salt, which might lead to the destruction of the virus. In fact, there seems to be a correlation with cities close to the sea and a low mortality rate from COVID-19.
The highest concentration of PM2.5 a human is exposed to is during tobacco smoking. Another preprint by Prof Muscat Baron indicated that the rate of COVID-19 infection was 23% more in states of the USA with less restrictions on smoking in public places and higher percentages of smoking populations. This has implications for COVID-19 infection for both smokers and nearby individuals exposed to passive smoking.
Prof. Muscat Baron’s publications dealing with the above and more may be accessed openly through his profile on ResearchGate http://researchgate.net/profile/Yves_Muscat_Baron.
Download this document for a summary of the research: research-summary-prof-yves-muscat-baron
1 An abbreviation for particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5μm or less. One micrometre [μm] is 0.001mm, or one millionth of a metre.
