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The drop in pollution caused by the coronavirus quarantine in Europe has "saved" some 11,000 premature deaths in the last month, according to a study by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREC). It is estimated that pollution in the old continent causes around 470,000 premature deaths a year, mainly due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

The study, led by Lauri Myllyvirta, does not include deaths directly caused by the epidemic (more than 220,000 worldwide), despite the correlation suggested by research that attributes the high mortality of coronavirus in Madrid and in northern Italy. to high pollution in the two areas.

In the specific case of Spain, it is estimated that there has been a decrease of 1,081 deaths due to low contamination. Nitrogen dioxide levels fell more than 50% in large Spanish cities, while that of PM10 particles (equal to or less than 10 microns) was around 20%.

Positive effects of clean air

The decrease in pollution due to the fall in traffic and emissions from the industry can translate in numerical terms into 6,000 fewer children with asthma, 1,900 fewer visits to the emergency department and 1.3 million fewer days of absences related to health problems. attributable to contamination.

The author of the analysis, Lauri Myllyvirta, recognized that the "benefits" of the fall in contamination and the emergence of the coronavirus should be decoupled . His study, he says, is simply demonstrative, with the purpose of demonstrating the positive effects on health of clean air.

Across Europe, NO2 levels fell 40% and suspended particulate levels 10%. The country where the least deaths have been avoided due to pollution has been Germany (2,083), followed by the United Kingdom (1,752), Italy (1,490) and France (1,230). Spain is in fifth place, while Portugal tops the European list with the biggest drop in NO2 levels (60%) and particulate levels (55%).

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