Over the past years, COVID-19 has been linked to air pollution; with numerous studies claiming that dirty air quality worsens novel coronavirus infections. 

(Photo: NIC COURY/AFP via Getty Images) A nurse cared for a Covid-19 patient inside the ICU (intensive care unit) at Adventist Health in Sonora, California, on August 27, 2021. - The hospital has had 72 hospitalizations due to Covid-19 since August 1, 2021, of which 11 have died from complications of the virus.

Now, a new study has been conducted by researchers in Belgium. Unlike the previous research, which focused on assessing groups of people, the new Belgian study followed individual patients. 

Thanks to this, Belgian experts were able to give more confident results. Here are the things revealed by the new study, which was published in the ERJ (European Respiratory Journal). 

Air Pollution Makes COVID-19 Hospitalizations Longer

According to The Guardian's latest report, dirtier air makes COVID-19 stay in hospitals four days longer; this is the same impact as on patients 10 years older. 

(Photo: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) Medical staff, wearing protective gear, move a patient infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) from an ambulance to a hospital on March 09, 2020, in Seoul, South Korea. The South Korean government has raised the coronavirus alert to the "highest level" as confirmed case numbers continue to rise across the country.

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Involved Belgian experts revealed that the air pollution levels measured in the blood of patients were linked to a 36% increase in needing extensive care treatments. 

Aside from this, they also found out that lower level of air pollution leads to health improvements. These improvements are equal to 40%-80% of the benefits provided by COVID-19 medicines. 

They discovered this after following over 300 patients who were hospitalized between May 2022 and March 2021 because of COVID-19 infection. 

"Reducing air pollution, even when at relatively low levels, increases the health of the population and makes them less susceptible to future pandemics," explained Hasselt University Prof. Tim Nawrot. 

He added that the findings of their latest study show that air pollution worsens the burden that doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

COVID-19 Lockdowns Help Lessen Air Pollution 

While air pollution affects COVID-19 infections, National Geographic stated that lockdowns during the peak of the pandemic helped improve air quality levels. 

Founder of Clean Air in London, Simon Birkett, said that the pandemic could make people realize that they actually do enjoy clean air. 

National Geographic experts explained that Birket's view suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic could be the catalyst to make people act to help clean the air. 

But, the positive impact of lockdowns on air quality levels is still considered temporary. It's up to humans if they want to further clean air pollution across the globe. 

You can click this link to learn more about the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on air pollution.  

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