Air Quality and COVID-19 Prevalence/Fatality

To investigate the association of real-time/observed ozone/PM2.5 levels with COVID-19 prevalence/fatality, meta-regression of data from the Northeast megalopolis was conducted. Daily Air Quality Index (AQI) values based on available ozone/PM2.5 data in these counties/cities (3/15/2020–5/31/2020) were extracted from US Environmental Protection Agency and World Air Quality Project. In each county/city, total confirmed COVID-19 cases/deaths (5/31/2020) were available from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, and total population was extracted from US Census Bureau. Random-effects meta-regression was performed using OpenMetaAnalyst. A meta-regression graph depicted COVID-19 prevalence and fatality (plotted as logarithm-transformed prevalence/fatality on the y-axis) as a function of mean ozone/PM2.5 AQI (plotted on the x-axis). Coefficients were not statistically significant for ozone (P = 0.212/0.814 for prevalence/fatality) and PM2.5 (P = 0.986/0.499). Although multivariable analysis had been planned, it was not performed because of non-significant covariates of interest in the univariable model. In conclusion, ozone/PM2.5 may be unassociated with COVID-19 prevalence/fatality.