Does Air Pollution have a role in Coronavirus deaths? Here’s what ICMR says

Coronavirus Covid-19 update: Pollution is a key aspect related to Coronavirus deaths, revealed the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) DG Dr Balram Bhargava. Dr. Bhargava said that studies conducted in Europe and the US have indicated that pollution has turned out to be a contributory factor in deaths due to Covid-19. He, however, said wearing masks would prove to be beneficial. Dr. Bhargava’s comments came even as Delhi’s Air Quality Index is worsening and pollution is rising gradually in the national capital, as per the Indian Express report.

Dr. Bhargava said that pollution is one of the key “important aspects” of death and is related to “Covid-19 mortality”. He referred to a few studies that have been conducted in the US and Europe. Bhargava said these studies focused on areas that are polluted. These studies assessed the Covid-19 mortality figures reported during the lockdown and found a correlation with pollution. The study has indicated and clearly established that pollution has bearing on Coronavirus mortality, Dr. Bhargava said during a media interaction.

Dr. Bhargava emphasized wearing face coverings or face masks. Dr. Bhargava has said that wearing face masks “inexpensive but effective approach” to tackle the situation.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) has remained in the “lower-end” of the “Very Poor category”, the Central government agency SAFAR-India stated in its short-range AQI forecast. It has predicted that AQI is likely to slip into the “higher-end” of the “Very Poor category” for the next two days.

In India, 43,893 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, the newly recovered Coronavirus cases stood at 58,439, as per the details provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on October 28. The total number of active cases in the country are 6,10,803. The Covid-19 active cases stood for 7.64 per cent of the total cases. The total number of discharged cases in India is 72,59,509 even as the recovery rate stood at 90.85 per cent. As many as 508 Coronavirus-related deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours taking the total death toll to 1,20,010. The case fatality rate is 1.50 per cent, the Ministry of Health and Family welfare said.