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Ambient Air Pollution in Relation to SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Antibody Response, and COVID-19 Disease: A Cohort Study in Catalonia, Spain (COVICAT Study).
- Source :
- Environmental Health Perspectives; Nov2021, Vol. 129 Issue 11, p117003-1-117003-10, 10p, 6 Charts, 1 Graph
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence links ambient air pollution with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease, an association that is methodologically challenging to investigate. OBJECTIVES: We examined the association between long-term exposure to air pollution with SARS-CoV-2 infection measured through antibody response, level of antibody response among those infected, and COVID-19 disease. METHODS: We contacted 9,605 adult participants from a population-based cohort study in Catalonia between June and November 2020; most participants were between 40 and 65 years of age. We drew blood samples from 4,103 participants and measured immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, and IgG antibodies against five viral target antigens to establish infection to the virus and levels of antibody response among those infected. We defined COVID-19 disease using self-reported hospital admission, prior positive diagnostic test, or more than three self-reported COVID-19 symptoms after contact with a COVID-19 case. We estimated prepandemic (2018–2019) exposure to fine particulate matter [PM with an aerodynamic diameter of =<subscript>2.5</subscript> lm (PM<subscript>2.5</subscript>)], nitrogen dioxide (NO<subscript>2</subscript>), black carbon (BC), and ozone (O<subscript>3</subscript>) at the residential address using hybrid land-use regression models. We calculated log-binomial risk ratios (RRs), adjusting for individual- and area-level covariates. RESULTS: Among those tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, 743 (18.1%) were seropositive. Air pollution levels were not statistically significantly associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection: Adjusted RRs per interquartile range were 1.07 (95% CI: 0.97, 1.18) for NO<subscript>2</subscript>, 1.04 (95% CI: 0.94, 1.14) for PM<subscript>2.5</subscript>, 1.00 (95% CI: 0.92, 1.09) for BC, and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.89, 1.06) for O<subscript>3</subscript>. Among infected participants, exposure to NO<subscript>2</subscript> and PM<subscript>2.5</subscript> were positively associated with IgG levels for all viral target antigens. Among all participants, 481 (5.0%) had COVID-19 disease. Air pollution levels were associated with COVID-19 disease: adjusted RRs = 1.14 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.29) for NO<subscript>2</subscript> and 1.17 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.32) for PM<subscript>2.5</subscript>. Exposure to O<subscript>3</subscript> was associated with a slightly decreased risk (RR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.83, 1.03). Associations of air pollution with COVID-19 disease were more pronounced for severe COVID-19, with RRs = 1.26 (95% CI: 0.89, 1.79) for NO<subscript>2</subscript> and 1.51 (95% CI: 1.06, 2.16) for PM<subscript>2.5</subscript>. DISCUSSION: Exposure to air pollution was associated with a higher risk of COVID-19 disease and level of antibody response among infected but not with SARS-CoV-2 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- NITROGEN oxide analysis
CARBON analysis
AIR pollution
PARTICULATE matter
AERODYNAMICS
VIRAL antigens
OBESITY
COVID-19
IMMUNOGLOBULINS
CONFIDENCE intervals
CATALANS
SELF-evaluation
SERODIAGNOSIS
AGE distribution
BLOOD collection
REGRESSION analysis
CASE-control method
POPULATION geography
ANTIBODY formation
RISK assessment
SEVERITY of illness index
SOCIOECONOMIC factors
SEX distribution
RESEARCH funding
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
QUESTIONNAIRES
DISEASE prevalence
VIRAL antibodies
OZONE
ODDS ratio
RESIDENTIAL patterns
STATISTICAL sampling
COVID-19 testing
ENVIRONMENTAL exposure
LONGITUDINAL method
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00916765
- Volume :
- 129
- Issue :
- 11
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Environmental Health Perspectives
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 153962689
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9726