Air Pollution and Respiratory Infectious Diseases
Sandro Provenzano, Sefi Roth, Lutz Sager
Abstract
Abstract Recent research suggests that short-term exposure to air pollution is associated with an elevated prevalence of respiratory infectious disease. In this paper, we examine the relationship between the air quality index and weekly cases of COVID-19 and influenza-like illnesses (ILI) in the United States. We address potential bias from omitted variables and measurement error with an instrumental variable approach using atmospheric temperature inversions. Unlike other recent studies, we find no relationship between air quality and either COVID-19 or ILI cases.
Topics & Concepts
Air quality indexAir pollutionCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Instrumental variablePollutionEnvironmental healthInfectious disease (medical specialty)Environmental scienceEconometricsStatisticsMeteorologyGeographyDiseaseMedicineBiologyMathematicsEcologyInternal medicineCOVID-19 epidemiological studiesAir Quality and Health ImpactsCOVID-19 impact on air quality