Local landscape, air pollution tied to COVID-19 death risk

Urban environmental determinants of vitamin D status, such as air pollution and sun exposure, appear to be important factors in assessing the risk of mortality from COVID-19, reports a recent study.

Looking at 34 boroughs across London, the researchers evaluated urban form attributes, including building density, open space distribution, and road length. They also took into consideration air quality levels using data from the London Air Quality Network. Relevant COVID-19 statistics were drawn from Public Health England.

Pollution emerged as an important indicator of COVID-19, with a higher 4-year average of 10-µm particulate matter (PM₁₀) correlating significantly with higher case counts (p<0.0137) and worse mortality rates (p<0.001). Such an interaction remained true both in the boroughs with the highest and lowest 4-year average of PM₁₀. No such interaction was found, however, for nitrogen dioxide.

Similarly, urban form significantly influenced COVID-19 measures. Coronavirus deaths, for instance, shared an inverse correlation with the percentage of households with access to open spaces (p<0.0137), though no such association was reported for case count. Total road length was also significantly correlated with both COVID-19 deaths and cases (p<0.0001 for both).

“Our findings support the hypothesis that urban form characteristics and exposure to air pollutants, which can impact vitamin D synthesis, are associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 and subsequent mortality,” the researchers said.

“Our findings call for further research on the impact of urban form and air quality on vitamin D deficiency as a modifiable risk factor for COVID-19 and other common pathologies to suggest built environment modifications and inform localized public health interventions,” they added.