Track the level of pollution in your city
TOI, on Wednesday, had reported a study suggesting that long-term exposure to air pollution could be linked to up to 15% of Covid deaths globally. Doctors warned that people with pre-existing lung diseases, asthma and heart ailments were particularly vulnerable to shortness of breath as pollution levels rise during Kolkata’s winter. Some have even warned that increased pollution could lead to an increase in deaths from Covid.
The restrictions induced by the pandemic had caused contamination to drop drastically to the lowest level since contamination levels began to be recorded. Although the AQI had been gradually declining since unlocking began in June, it started to skyrocket from Tuesday night, with the hourly AQI at some stations exceeding 300. In most places, however, it was around 200.
With Kali Puja and Diwali just around the corner, when the AQI plummets due to firecrackers, doctors are now extremely concerned. “There is no debate as to whether the degradation of air quality would make the battle against Covid-19 difficult,” said Suman Mallick, director of radiation oncology at Narayana Superspecialty Hospital.
“The increase in cases after the festival and the deterioration in air quality would be a nightmare combination,” he added. An AQI range of 101-200 means ‘moderate’ air quality, which can cause shortness of breath for people with lung disease, asthma, and heart disease. Once you get over the 200 mark, the air quality gets bad. Long-term exposure to that air can cause respiratory problems even in healthy people.
“The increase in contamination is directly related to a sudden increase in Covid transmission,” said Raja Dhar, pulmonologist at Fortis Hospital. “Therefore, it is of concern that the AQI is increasing. The virus can easily adhere to particulate matter and infiltrate the lungs. So the higher the level of contamination, the greater the possibility of transmission. Over the past seven months, we’ve seen that people living in congested and polluted areas have tested positive more often. ”
Pulmonologist Arup Haldar, associated with several hospitals in the city, said: “The presence of oxidants in the lungs exacerbates the severity of infections. Oxidative stress actually accelerates the severity of the patient. ”
The increased pollution load leaves lungs sick, making them vulnerable to infection, said Arun Sharma, director of community medicine at the University of Delhi School of Medical Sciences, who has studied the patterns and effects of pollution in Kolkata.
A May study by Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health suggested that even a one microgram increase in PM2.5 (the main type of air pollutant in Kolkata) could increase mortality by 8%. However, a recent study estimated that exposure to air pollution could increase deaths from Covid-19 by up to 15%. The study estimated that around 15% of deaths worldwide from Covid-19 could be attributed to long-term exposure to air pollution.
Significantly, it is the heart that suffers the most and not the lung from prolonged exposure to fine particles like PM2.5. Ambient air pollution caused 4.2 million deaths due to strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases, said Dr. K Aggarwal, IMA-CMAAO, during a webinar on Covid and air pollution.
Ajay Mittal of the Calcutta Clean Air organization, which works on pollution-related issues, said: “This is an unusual year, which justifies radical measures to contain air pollution. Since Covid-19 is a respiratory disease, we must have stricter protocols and awareness for Kali Puja and Diwali. It should not be limited to noise, but to air pollution caused by low-decibel fireworks, before fireworks start to invade markets. ”
Pradeep Kakkar, founding member of the city-based People United for Better Living in Calcutta (PUBLIC), said: “The AQI was lowered to 10 during the shutdown. How could we let it shoot past 200? ”
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