UK Government Faces Legal Challenge After Studies Link COVID-19 Deaths, Air Pollution

The government is facing legal action after studies have revealed some COVID-19 deaths may be related to prolonged exposure to dirty air.

Studies show COVID-19 patients are doubly likely to have had underlying respiratory diseases and are three times as likely to have had heart problems, according to a Guardian report. Now, organisations are asking the government to enforce better clean air policies. 

Legal action was taken this week in an effort to force the government to review air pollution exposure and its link to COVID-19 deaths, Business Green reported.

The Good Law Project, Mums for Lungs, Students for Global Health and UK Youth Climate Coalition are bringing the legal case against the government in an effort to assess strategies to fight pollution and reduce COVID-19 deaths. 

The groups allege that the government is legally obligated to review the evidence tying exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 deaths.

The Good Law Project says it has legally requested a formal review from the government for the “substantially increased harm being caused by poor air quality on account of COVID-19,” according to Business Green.

The Good Law Project is demanding a response from Defra by 16 September. The organisation has created a crowdfunding page to raise money to pay for the legal action since it could become an expensive ordeal.

Decades of research show air pollution is harmful to the heart and lungs.

According to The Guardian, pollution-filled air causes 7 million deaths annually.

Initial studies into the link between COVID-19 deaths and exposure to air pollution seemingly show that polluted areas are also coronavirus hotspots. And it has been established that there is a link between exposure to air pollution and the 2003 Sars outbreak, The Guardian reported.

If research shows COVID-19 deaths correspond with high-pollution areas, then those areas could take extra precautions to slow the spread.

However, conducting scientific studies and obtaining accurate data at the height of the coronavirus crisis is difficult. 

“We don’t have the evidence linking directly to mortality yet, but we know if you are exposed to air pollution you are increasing your chances of being more severely affected,” Dr. Maria Neira of the World Health Organization said, according to The Guardian. “We are starting to give messages to countries and regions saying, if you are starting to have cases, in those cities where you have a high level of pollution, reinforce your level of preparedness, because you might have a higher mortality.”

Studies show COVID-19 deaths may be linked to exposure to air pollution in three ways, The Guardian reported.

Lungs and hearts that are already damaged or weakened due to pollution. Then air pollutants inflame the lungs, making people more susceptible to COVID-19. And last, particles of pollution may assist the virus in being carried greater distances.

One study from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that people with long-term exposure to air pollution may be more likely to incur COVID-19 deaths, according to a Guardian report.

The study used a large sample size of over 46,000 coronavirus deaths in England.

The data revealed a small single-unit increase in air pollution exposure over the last decade may escalate the death rate by up to 6%. Nitrogen dioxide is at illegal levels in many cities; the study showed it was linked to a 2% increase in COVID-19 deaths. 

Other studies have shown more profound results.

One study conducted in the U.S. showed an 8% increase and another study done in the Netherlands found a 15% increase in death rates, according to The Guardian.

The higher percentages of COVID-19 deaths in these studies may be due to the fact that they were conducted during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic when cities were showing the highest spread of the virus. 

So far, the analysis of COVID-19 deaths is only available for groups of people.

The ONS said there is not a definitive link between exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 deaths. It is unclear how great the effect of the virus could be.

The ONS is working on individual patient data in London to investigate ruling out other factors.

The evidence linking exposure to air pollution with COVID-19 deaths could be used in legal action against the government.

The government’s Clean Air Strategy was created in January 2019 to reduce dirty air, according to Business Green. After several successful legal cases, the government was forced to improve air quality.

But in many ways, the strategy has fallen short of creating cleaner air, according to some environmentalists. 

The new legal action that ties exposure to air pollution to COVID-19 deaths may compel the government to take additional steps.

Do you believe exposure to air pollution is likely to cause more COVID-19 deaths? Do you think the government should be enforcing stricter emissions policies? Tells us how you feel in the comments.

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