Environmental Racism and the COVID-19 Pandemic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v11i1.2444Keywords:
COVID-19, Pandemic, Air Pollution, Environmental Racism, Planetary Health, Public Health, Public Policy, Climate JusticeAbstract
Exposure to air pollutants like ground-level ozone and particulate matter is closely associated with rates of COVID-19 mortality and transmission. Potential biological mechanisms connecting pollution with COVID-19 severity include overexpression of the ACE2 receptor, pollutants’ role as a carrier or transport vector for COVID-19, destruction of the cilia, and compromised immune response of the lungs. Thus, individuals with more long-term exposure to air pollution are much more susceptible to severe symptoms from COVID-19. Social disparities dramatically affect which populations are regularly exposed to air pollutants and therefore incur disproportionate rates of respiratory diseases. Environmental racism and racial segregation have been shown to be significantly and positively associated with exposure to air pollution from sources like car engines and power plants. This results in individuals of low socioeconomic status, people of color, and those living in low-income areas being often exposed to increased levels of air pollution, making them more likely to suffer greater tragedies from COVID-19 and respiratory diseases. The results of this study provide insight into the public policy work necessary to ameliorate health inequities resulting from environmental racism and to prevent worse outcomes from future pandemics.
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