Increase In Air Pollution May Lead To Spike In COVID-19 Cases, Deaths: ICMR

OB Bureau

October 28, 2020 12:30 pm

New Delhi: The increasing pollution levels in Delhi and adjoining areas may become the reason for the increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths due to the virus, ANI reported experts as saying on Tuesday.

Speaking at the Union Health Ministry’s press conference, Dr. VK Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, and Dr Balram Bhargava, Director General (DG ) of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) agreed that increasing pollution around the national capital and adjoining areas may lead to increase in Coronavirus cases.

“We have heard that the effect of the disease may increase with the increased pollution, but we are yet to understand it fully,” said Dr Paul.

In an interaction with ANI earlier, Dr Arvind Kumar, Chairman of Centre for Chest Surgery Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said that people with pre-existing lung ailments are more vulnerable to catch COVID-19 infection and ought to be extra careful.

Dr Vikash Maurya, Head of Respiratory medicine department at Fortis Hospital also told ANI, “This is just the start of air pollution. Air quality has already become poor and will worse in the coming days. Its side-effect would be seen after the Diwali celebration and extreme winters. The bottom line is- we have to be cautious now as this time we have Covid-19 crisis too and this is going to be a very big challenge for all of us.”

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