Exposure to air pollution and hospitalization due to COVID-19 in São José dos Campos, Brazil

The association between exposure to air pollutants and respiratory diseases is well known. This study aimed to identify the association between this exposure and hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Sao Jose dos Campos, SP, a medium-sized city, between April 2020 and April 2021. Hospitalization data, co...

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Published in:Brazilian journal of medical and biological research 2022-01, Vol.55 (1), p.1
Main Authors: Santos, A.O.R, Lucarevschi, B.R, Cunha, C.J.D, Ribeiro, P.C, Cesar, A.C.G, Nascimento, L.F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air pollution
BIOLOGY
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Environmental aspects
Health aspects
Hospital care
Hospitalization
MEDICINE, RESEARCH & EXPERIMENTAL
Nitrogen dioxide
Pollutants
Prevention
Respiratory diseases
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Summary:The association between exposure to air pollutants and respiratory diseases is well known. This study aimed to identify the association between this exposure and hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Sao Jose dos Campos, SP, a medium-sized city, between April 2020 and April 2021. Hospitalization data, concerning code B34.2, was supplied by DATASUS, and data concerning pollutants and climate variables were supplied by CETESB. Cases were quantified by sex, age, length of hospital stay in days, and type of discharge, whether hospital discharge or death. The negative binomial regression model was chosen. Estimates were produced for the relative risk (RR) of significant exposure to pollutants (PP0.05) with a 10 mg/[m.sup.3] increase of pollutant, as well as for excess hospitalizations. There were 1873 hospitalizations, with a daily average of 4.7 ([+ or -] 3.8), ranging from zero to 21: 716 deaths (38.2%) were recorded, 1065 admissions were men, and women were less susceptible (OR=0.82). The average age of women was higher than that of men; in cases of death, men were older than women; discharged patients were younger. All the above variables were significant. The risk of ozone exposure was higher and more significant in Lag 2, and the risk of nitrogen dioxide exposure was high in Lag 3, which was the period of the highest increase in hospitalizations, at 11.3%. The findings of this study, the first conducted in Brazil, corroborate the results of studies conducted in other centers. Key words: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Air pollution; Nitrogen dioxide; Ozone
ISSN:0100-879X
1414-431X
1414-431X
1678-4510
DOI:10.1590/1414-431X2021e12273