Thursday, April 16, 2020 | 2 a.m.
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According to a recent Harvard study, a small increase in long-term exposure to airborne particulate matter leads to a large spike in COVID-19 death rate. This is especially frightening because the Trump administration has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to suspend the enforcement of environmental regulations, ignoring the need for protecting the health of communities from pollution.
Scientists estimate that COVID-19 could kill up to 240,000 Americans. The majority of the preexisting conditions that increase the risk of death are the same diseases that are affected by long-term exposure to air pollution. For Harvard’s study, data was collected for approximately 3,000 counties in the country (98% of the population).
The results underscore the importance of continuing to enforce air pollution regulations to protect human health both during and after the COVID-19 crisis. We must contact our members of Congress and demand that the EPA rescind the terrible non-enforcement policies.
