Global Health Asia-Pacific July 2020 July 2020 | Page 68

Environment Clear skies do not bring boost in lockdown health The environment may be coronavirus winner, but long-term impact on health is a concern Shanghai sees clearer skies As human populations reel over the health, social, and economic impacts of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the environment has been breathing a sigh of relief. Lockdowns across the world have led to fewer vehicles on the roads, less industrial production, and the virtual shutdown of the passenger aviation industry. Skies have been bluer from Beijing to Bogota, according to satellite imagery that shows areas of cleaner air extending across broad swathes of the northern hemisphere. Two new studies in the journal Geophysical Research Letters in May found that nitrogen dioxide pollution over northern China, Western Europe, and the United States had decreased by as much as 60 percent in early 2020, compared to the same time last year. Nitrogen dioxide is produced during combustion and has many harmful effects on the lungs. The gas typically enters the atmosphere through emissions from vehicles, power plants, and industrial activities. While likely to be only short term, our planet’s cleaner air has brought concrete and measurable benefits to human health. In a comment piece in the Lancet in May, public health researchers from several American universities outlined their preliminary study of the effect of air pollution on mortality in China and Continued on page 68 66 JULY 2020 GlobalHealthAndTravel.com