Two mechanisms for accelerated diffusion of COVID-19 outbreaks in regions with high intensity of population and polluting industrialization: the air pollution-to-human and human-to-human transmission dynamics

Mario Coccia

This study here shows that geo-environmental factors of accelerated diffusion of COVID-19 are also likely associated with high air pollution and specific meteorological conditions (low wind speed, etc.) of North Italy and other Norther Italian regions that favor the transmission dynamics of viral infectivity. North Italy is one of the European regions with the highest motorization rate and polluting industrialization (cf., Legambiente, 2019) . In 2018 in 55 provincial capitals the daily limits for PM10 or ozone were exceeded (i.e., 35 days for PM10 and 25 for ozone). In 24 of the 55 Italian province capitals, the limit was exceeded for both parameters, with negative effects on population that had to breathe polluted air for about four months in the year with subsequent health problems. In fact, the cities that last Terni with 86 (respectively 49 and 37 days for the two pollutants). Many cities in Italy are affected by air pollution and smog because of traffic, domestic heating, industries and agricultural practices and with private cars that continue to be by far the most used means of transportation (more than 39 million cars in 2019). In fact, a major source of . CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license It is made available under a author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.