In the Netherlands, hundreds of additional corona deaths occurred due to poor air quality

In the Netherlands, an additional 400 to 800 people may have died from the coronavirus due to dirty air. People living in areas with poor air quality were at greater risk of dying after being infected. This is evident from research by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the universities of Utrecht and Wageningen and the association of regional health services.

If air quality had been average in regions with poor air quality, it would have saved 6,000 to 13,500 infections, about 1,100 hospital admissions and 400 to 800 deaths, according to the study.

The study compared regions with poor air quality with places where air quality was better. The researchers did not explicitly look at which regions were involved. They do say that livestock farming and traffic in particular influenced the higher risk of corona and serious illness. What effect the industry had is more difficult to determine.

It is not the case that people contract corona due to poor air quality, because that happens through human contact, the researchers emphasize. But if people inhale particulate matter and it enters the lungs, they can eventually suffer from lung complaints and cardiovascular disease. People who live in polluted air are also more susceptible to respiratory infections. The researchers see the results as confirmation that cleaner air is important for public health.