In India, polluted air spells trouble for virus patients - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

In India, polluted air spells trouble for virus patients

New Delhi | ByAssociated Press | Posted by Jahnavi Gupta
Nov 09, 2020 10:57 AM IST

Air pollution in parts of New Delhi have climbed to levels around nine times what the World Health Organization considers safe, turning grey winter skies into a putrid yellow and shrouding national monuments.

A thick quilt of smog lingered over the Indian capital and its suburbs on Friday, fed by smoke from raging agricultural fires that health experts worry could worsen the city’s fight against the coronavirus.

A thick quilt of smog lingered over the Indian capital and its suburbs on Friday. (Representational Image)(Unsplash)
A thick quilt of smog lingered over the Indian capital and its suburbs on Friday. (Representational Image)(Unsplash)

Air pollution in parts of New Delhi have climbed to levels around nine times what the World Health Organization considers safe, turning grey winter skies into a putrid yellow and shrouding national monuments. Levels of the most dangerous particles, called PM 2.5, climbed to around 250 micrograms per cubic metre, which is considered hazardous to breathe, according to the state-run System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The throat-burning smoke regularly turns the city of 20 million people into the world’s most polluted at this time of the year.

This year’s haze, however, comes as New Delhi battles a new surge in coronavirus infections, and health experts fear that if the air quality continues to worsen, then people with chronic medical conditions could become more vulnerable.

Also watch: Heavy smog In Delhi as air quality remains in ‘severe’ category

 

“We are already registering more infections after the air quality started to deteriorate. I fear things will only get worse from here on,” said Arvind Kumar, a chest surgeon in New Delhi.

India has reported the second most coronavirus infections in the world after the United States, with more than 8.4 million confirmed cases and nearly 125,000 deaths. The number of new daily infections reported across the country has slowed since mid-September, but New Delhi has recently seen a new surge.

On Thursday, the national capital recorded nearly 6,700 new Covid-19 cases, the second-highest single-day spike since the pandemic began. The surge comes ahead of the country’s festival season, when people normally gather in large numbers.

With fears growing about rising infections, New Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday banned firecrackers from being used this month during Diwali, the Hindu festival of light.

“The corona situation is worsening because of pollution,” he said.

Xiao Wu, a researcher at Harvard University, said emerging research suggests that pollution exposure could increase the severity of coronavirus infections.

“The relationship of long-term air pollution and Covid-19 indicate adverse health impacts that make people prone to the infection,” Wu said.

He said extended exposure to severely polluted air can cause chronic lung inflammation which could leave people more vulnerable to the coronavirus.

The link between air pollution and worsening Covid-19 cases remains mostly theoretical at the moment. But several researchers have said that in addition to factors such as mask wearing, social distancing, population density and temperature, dirty air should also be considered a key element in coronavirus outbreaks.

Recently, India’s National Centre for Disease Control said New Delhi is likely to report around 15,000 new Covid-19 cases a day in the winter, in part because of the prevalence of respiratory illnesses during the season resulting from toxic air.

New Delhi’s air pollution woes aren’t new.

Every winter season, air pollution levels in the capital soar to dangerous levels and dark yellow haze blankets the city for months. What makes things worse is the burning of crop debris on farms in neighbouring states, which sends up huge clouds of smoke that drift toward New Delhi.

The New Delhi government has been doing more this year to fight air pollution by setting up a war room to track hot spots, using huge anti-smog guns that spray high pressure mist to help dust particles settle, and reducing smoke caused by agricultural burning.

But many say it is not doing enough.

“Our government only wakes up at the time of emergency. We don’t want a quick-fix solution,” said Bhavreen Kandhari, a New Delhi environmentalist.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.)

Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! -Login Now!
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Sunday, March 24, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On