Delhi's Foul Air Pollution Season Kicks Off In Tandem W. Record Spike In COVID Infections

[hatrack]

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Delhi is battling both toxic air and a record surge in coronavirus cases. Doctors and scientists say the combination will have deadly consequences, as exposure to pollution increases the risk of severe respiratory illnesses. Air pollution also makes people more prone to infections, they say.

India has recorded more than 8.7 million coronavirus cases, second only to the United States. While fresh cases nationwide have fallen sharply since September, Delhi is an exception to the trend. The city is adding more than 7,000 cases a day, and that figure is expected to rise. More than 100 covid deaths were reported in Delhi on Thursday, a record. Meanwhile, the number of open hospital beds equipped with ventilators is dwindling. The fresh wave of cases comes as Delhiites have thronged markets and malls during India’s festival season. This weekend marked the advent of Diwali, a major Hindu holiday, and public heath experts fear that celebratory gatherings could spread the virus.

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The air quality in greater Delhi, home to 30 million people, has already deteriorated dramatically. Each autumn, when temperatures fall and wind speeds drop, a polluted smog settles over the city. Vehicle exhaust, construction dust, industrial emissions and crop burning in neighboring states all contribute to the mix. Delhi just experienced five straight days of “hazardous” air quality, according to standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. On Nov. 10, the level of particulate matter considered most harmful to human health briefly spiked to 30 times the safe limit prescribed by the World Health Organization. Such particles can lodge deep inside the lungs and have been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, respiratory infections and cancer.

Researchers also believe that such pollutants contribute to a higher risk of death from covid-19. A recent study by scientists in Europe estimated that 15 percent of covid deaths worldwide could have been avoided if pollution levels were lower.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/india-delhi-coronavirus-pollution/2020/11/14/2e8745ca-2479-11eb-9c4a-0dc6242c4814_story.html

[progree]

1. Here's some stuff on India's Covid cases, according to the stats, FWIW

India's daily new cases, 7 day moving average, are down by more than half from the mid-September peak. [1]

India's daily new cases, 7 day moving, is 2.8 per 100,000 [2]

Dehli's is 43.4 per 100,000 [1]

U.S.'s is 43.9 per 100,000 [2]

USA! USA! USA!

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/asia/india-coronavirus-cases.html

[2] https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/coronavirus-maps.html