Higher airborne pollen concentrations correlated with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, as evidenced from 31 countries across the globe

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021

Authors

Grau, JMM (Author) Other; Oteros, J (Author) Other; Pérez Badia, R (Author) Other; Pérez de Zabalza, A (Author) Other; Picornell, A (Author) Other; Recio, M (Author) Other; Robles, E (Author) Other; Rodríguez Fernández, A (Author) Other; Rodríguez Rajo, JF (Author) Other; Rojo, J (Author) Other; Valenzuela, LR (Author) Other; Bergmann, K (Author) Other; Werchan, B (Author) Other; Werchan, M (Author) Other; Buters, JT (Author) Other; Bastl, M (Author) Other; Dunker, S (Author) Other; Hornick, T (Author) Other; Roldán, NG (Author) Other; Gilge, S (Author) Other; Clot, B (Author) Other; Finemann, S (Author) Other; Ford, LB (Author) Other; Gomez, RA (Author) Other; Kamboj, S (Author) Other; Wilhelm, W (Author) Other; Beggs, PJ (Author) Other; Burton, P (Author) Other; Davies, JM (Author) Other; Haberle, S (Author) Other; Katelaris, CH (Author) Other; Keaney, B (Author) Other; Milic, A (Author) Other; Miller, V (Author) Other; van Haeften, S (Author) Other; Bonini, M (Author) Other; Bordin, A (Author) Other; Ceriotti, V (Author) Other; Cristofolini, F (Author) Other; Cristofori, A (Author) Other; Gottardini, E (Author) Other; Marcer, G (Author) Other; Marraccini, P (Author) Other; Mascagni, P (Author) Other; Meriggi, A (Author) Other; Pace, L (Author) Other; Pini, A (Author) Other; Tacca, MC (Author) Other; Bruffaerts, N (Author) Other; Hoebeke, L (Author) Other; Adams Groom, B (Author) Other; Pashley, CH (Author) Other; Satchwell, J (Author) Other; Skjøth, CA (Author) Other; Symon, FA (Author) Other; Miguel Antunes, CM (Author) Other; Caeiro, E (Author) Other; Camacho, IGC (Author) Other; Rodrigues Costa, AC (Author) Other; Deus, RJRC (Author) Other; Ferreira, MB (Author) Other; Fonseca, J (Author) FMUP; Galveias Jorge, AC (Author) Other; Ribeiro, H (Author) FCUP; Tavares, B (Author) Other; Grewling, ¿ (Author) Other; Grinn Gofro¿, A (Author) Other; Jurkiewicz, D (Author) Other; Kalinowska, E (Author) Other; Lipiec, AA (Author) Other; Myszkowska, D (Author) Other; Piotrowska Weryszko, K (Author) Other; Puc, M (Author) Other; Rapiejko, AA (Author) Other; Rapiejko, P (Author) Other; Weryszko Chmielewska, E (Author) Other; Ziemianin, M (Author) Other; Berman, D (Author) Other; Hoek, W (Author) Other; Manjra, AI (Author) Other; Peter, J (Author) Other; Dahl, Å (Author) Other; Ekebom, A (Author) Other; Stjepanovic, B (Author) Other; Ve¿enaj, A (Author) Other; Celenk, S (Author) Other; Goksel, O (Author) Other; Goksel, T (Author) Other; Guvensen, A (Author) Other; Pinar, NM (Author) Other; Sackesen, C (Author) Other; Sahin, AA (Author) Other; Uguz, U (Author) Other; Yazici, D (Author) Other; Kajitor Apatini, D (Author) Other; Magyar, D (Author) Other; Szigeti, T (Author) Other; Sikoparija, B (Author) Other; Seliger, AK (Author) Other; Sim¿i¿, A (Author) Other; Oh, J (Author) Other; Charalampopoulos, A (Author) Other; Vokou, D (Author) Other; Rasmussen, K (Author) Other; Barrionuevo, LB (Author) Other; Ramon, GD (Author) Other; de Weger, LA (Author) Other; Koenders, MM (Author) Other; van Vliet, AJ (Author) Other; Du¨i¿ka, J (Author) Other; Lafférsová, J (Author) Other; ¦¿evková, J (Author) Other; Rybní¿ek, O (Author) Other; Coates, F (Author) Other; Jurgens, D (Author) Other; ¦aulien¿, I (Author) Other; Severova, E (Author) Other; Rodinkova, V (Author) Other; Bortnyk, M (Author) Other; Palamarchuk, O (Author) Other; Yasniuk, M (Author) Other; Louna Korteniemi, M (Author) Other; Pätsi, S (Author) Other; Saarto, A (Author) Other; Toiviainen, L (Author) Other; Sozinova, O (Author) Other; Jia, P (Author) Other; Damialis, A (Author) Other; Gilles, S (Author) Other; Sofiev, M (Author) Other; Sofieva, V (Author) Other; Kolek, F (Author) Other; Bayr, D (Author) Other; Plaza, MP (Author) Other; Leier Wirtz, V (Author) Other; Kaschuba, S (Author) Other; Ziska, LH (Author) Other; Bielory, L (Author) Other; Makra, L (Author) Other; del Mar Trigo, M (Author) Other; Traidl Hoffmann, C (Author) Other; Oliver, G (Author) Other; Pham Thi, N (Author) Other; Thibaudon, M (Author) Other; Arino, AH (Author) Other; Belmonte, J (Author) Other; Morales, PC (Author) Other; de Linares, C (Author) Other; Fernández, D (Author) Other; Fernandez Rodriguez, S (Author) Other; Arguisuelas, AG (Author) Other; Galan, C (Author) Other; González Alonso, M (Author) Other; Lara, B (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Vol. 118

ISSN: 0027-8424

Publisher: National Academy of Sciences

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 82 Citations

Scopus - 92 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00V-N43

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2019034118

Abstract (EN): Pollen exposure weakens the immunity against certain seasonal respiratory viruses by diminishing the antiviral interferon response. Here we investigate whether the same applies to the pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is sensitive to antiviral interferons, if infection waves coincide with high airborne pollen concentrations. Our original hypothesis was that more airborne pollen would lead to increases in infection rates. To examine this, we performed a cross-sectional and longitudinal data analysis on SARS-CoV-2 infection, airborne pollen, and meteorological factors. Our dataset is the most comprehensive, largest possible worldwide from 130 stations, across 31 countries and five continents. To explicitly investigate the effects of social contact, we additionally considered population density of each study area, as well as lockdown effects, in all possible combinations: without any lockdown, with mixed lockdown¿no lockdown regime, and under complete lockdown. We found that airborne pollen, sometimes in synergy with humidity and temperature, explained, on average, 44% of the infection rate variability. Infection rates increased after higher pollen concentrations most frequently during the four previous days. Without lockdown, an increase of pollen abundance by 100 pollen/m3 resulted in a 4% average increase of infection rates. Lockdown halved infection rates under similar pollen concentrations. As there can be no preventive measures against airborne pollen exposure, we suggest wide dissemination of pollen¿virus coexposure dire effect information to encourage high-risk individuals to wear particle filter masks during high springtime pollen concentrations.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10