Exploring the linkage between PM(2.5) levels and COVID-19 Spread and its implications for socio-economic circles

Ali, Syeda Mahnoor; Malik, Fatima; Anjum, Muhammad Shehzaib; Siddiqui, Ghazanfar Farooq; Anwar, Muhammad Naveed; Lam, Su Shiung; Nizami, Abdul-Sattar; Khokhar, Muhammad Fahim

A pneumonia-like disease of unknown origin caused a catastrophe in Wuhan city, China. This disease spread to 215 countries affecting a wide range of people. World health organization (WHO) called it a pandemic and it was officially named as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus 2 (SARS CoV-2), also known as Corona virus disease (COVID-19). These pandemic compelled countries to enforce a socio-economic lockdown to prevent its widespread. This paper focuses on how the particulate matter pollution was reduced during the lockdown period (23 March to 15 April 2020) as compared to before lockdown. Both ground-based and satellite observations were used to identify the improvement in air quality of Pakistan with primary focus on four major cities of Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and Peshawar. Both datasets have shown a substantial reduction in PM(2.5) pollution levels (ranging from 13 to 33% in case of satellite observations, while 23 to 58 % in ground-based observations) across Pakistan. Result shows a higher rate of COVID-19 spread in major cities of Pakistan in cities of Pakistan with poor air quality conditions. Yet more research is needed in order to establish linkage between COVID-19 spread and air pollution. However, it can be partially attributed to both higher rate of population density and frequent exposure of population to enhanced levels of PM(2.5) concentrations before lockdown period.