The New York Times reports on a study from Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, which shows that counties with higher air pollution had more deaths from COVID-19.
For every 1 µg/m3 increase in long-term fine particle air pollution (PM2.5), there was a 15% increase in the mortality rate ratio from COVID-19 in that county.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/climate/air-pollution-coronavirus-covid.html
https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/files/covid-pm/files/pm_and_covid_mortality.pdf
The researchers obtained air pollution data from almost every county in the country, and also mortality data from COVID-19. They used COVID-19 data available through April 4th 2020.
The researchers noted that on March 26, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a sweeping relaxation of environmental rules in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, just last week on March 31, EPA finalized a rule that would weaken vehicle emissions standards.
In the midst of a viral pandemic in which air pollution causes increased mortality from the virus, the EPA is weakening standards and not enforcing rules. Why would EPA be allowing more pollution when it leads to increased deaths from COVID-19?
