Household pollution and COVID-19: irrelevant association?

Main Article Content

Marilyn Urrutia-Pereira
Carlos Augusto Mello-da-Silva
Dirceu Solé

Keywords

biomass, coronavirus disease 2019, epidemiology, household pollution, SARS-CoV-2, tobacco

Abstract

Evidence supports the link between air pollution and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Therefore, exposure to indoor pollution (IDP) is likely to be associated with the disease. The poor, refugees, and migrant workers who live in feeble conditions are the most vulnerable. The pandemic has caused many people to remain indoors, especially at-risk individuals (e.g., the elderly, diabetics, obese, cardiac, and chronic lung disease patients). Home isolation may be an underlying factor to other health problems among these populations if the place where they are socially isolating is not adequately ventilated. Therefore, understanding the consequences of the relationship between IDP and the COVID-19 pandemic is essential.

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