May 09, 2020
The current coronavirus pandemic has forced the world for the lockdown, the lockdown is ongoing in many countries from last one month and a half. This had led to the suspension of all the human activities which are not much necessary right now and have a direct impact on reduced usage of fuels since transportation is suspended and CO2 emission is declined. After analysis of CO2 emission in different cities, experts predict that the emission will fall by 4 - 8 % this year somewhere between 2 to 3 billion tonnes of global warming gases, which is between six and ten times larger than during the last global recession.
Here are 4 interesting facts about climate change is expected to impact public health worldwide:
1. Air pollution alone kills about 7 million people throughout the world in a year
About 90 % of the people are inhaling polluted air which is a risk factor for heart and lung diseases. According to the World Health Organization, every third death occurring due to strokes, lung cancer, and heart disease are due to air pollution. So, it is predicted that people living in air polluted areas are more vulnerable to coronavirus disease.
2. But air quality has largely improved due to the coronavirus outbreak in many polluted cities
The COVID-19 crisis has caused an improvement in air quality. The air quality index of many cities has jumped to acceptable value from the critical value.
3. 70 percent of the world's infectious diseases have come from the natural environment, with many from animal-to-human contact: study suggests
The history itself is proof that the pandemics that caused the world to the shutdown have originated from the animals and transferred to humans from animal-to-human contact and hence termed zoonotic. So, it is necessary to monitor the infections in wildlife and the domestic.
4. Climate change didn't cause coronavirus, but it can help spread future pandemics and disease - WHO
Dr. Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Head of the Climate Change and Health Program at the World Health Organization says ‘Warming climates and increasing variability in weather patterns across the globe make it inherently easier to transmit diseases of any origin. In order to reduce our chances for the next pandemic, we need to start taking more care of our planet.’ So, it important for us to maintain the natural balance on the earth.
The lockdown has also made the river water cleaner and safer for human and animal consumption. Within a few weeks of lockdown, highly polluted cities witnessed improvement in air quality dramatically.
