A French scientific study on Covid-related mortality, published in early August 2022 in the journal Sciences of the Total Environment, shows that the most polluted cities experienced a higher mortality rate. Conversely, cities exposed to the wind like Brest (Finistère) were more spared. Explanations.
French researchers have quantified the increase in mortality due to Covid-19 linked to pollution, in a study published in August 2022, in the scientific journal Sciences of the Total Environment. “It is the most polluted cities that have experienced the highest mortality rates”, summarizes Jean-Baptiste Renard, co-leader of the study, and director of research at the CNRS in Orléans, at the physics and chemistry laboratory of the environment and space. Conversely, cities “like Bordeaux or Brest, much less polluted due to oceanic influence, have been largely spared”, he emphasizes. For comparison, since March 19, 2020, 697 people have died from Covid in Finistère; 1,197 in Ille-et-Vilaine, and 6,147 in Paris. Interview.
Jean-Baptiste Renard, why ythis study ?
In March 2020, I was surprised to see entire regions of Europe affected by Covid… and others not! Usually, an epidemic spreads like an oil stain. There, areas were affected but with much lower levels, with spots inside.
What is your explanation?
The only parameter that stands out is pollution. It was the most polluted cities that experienced the highest mortality rates. This correlation between the level of exposure to fine particles and mortality due to Covid was seen quite quickly. This link had been mentioned in several studies. The originality of ours lies in the quantification of the phenomenon. We compared emblematic areas, with situations of low and high pollution. That is, 32 cities and regions in six European countries, over 2020-2022: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. I didn’t put Brest but we also studied it.
Full article (Fr) : Ouest France