Extract
Researchers in the air pollution field are well aware that indoor and outdoor air pollution is associated with multiple disorders, including an increase in respiratory infection-related morbidity and mortality [1, 2]. Investigating associations linking air pollution and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread and prognosis of respiratory disease in COVID-19 patients is therefore timely, relevant and plausible. Over a 10-day period, three papers involving original research associating COVID-19 mortality and air pollution were published [3–5]. These publications attracted considerable attention from international news outlets and on social media [6, 7].
Abstract
Present studies on the role of air pollution and COVID-19 spread, and the prognosis in patients, do not fulfil quality criteria and are not sufficiently informative https://bit.ly/3hGjd73
Acknowledgements
We thank Calvin Ge for proof reading and editing the editorial and Marc Chadeau-Hyam for his critical and constructive comments.
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: D.J.J. Heederik has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: L.A.M. Smit has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: R.C.H. Vermeulen has nothing to disclose.
- Received April 23, 2020.
- Accepted June 18, 2020.
- Copyright ©ERS 2020
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