[BostonCard]

Isn't there a difference between those exposed to air pollution developing asthma that makes dealing with Covid-19 more difficult, and Covid-19 being more difficult to deal with in polluted air for someone without asthma? Correlation vs. causation?

It turns out that asthma is not an overwhelming risk factor for worsening COVID-19, if you compare the proportion of COVID-19 hospitalized patients with asthma, and the proportion of patients who die from COVID-19 with asthma to the local prevalence of asthma.  The data is not precise enough to exclude a small effect, but compared to other risk factors (diabetes, hypertension), it is not whopping.

BC

[BostonCard]

Isn't there a difference between those exposed to air pollution developing asthma that makes dealing with Covid-19 more difficult, and Covid-19 being more difficult to deal with in polluted air for someone without asthma? Correlation vs. causation?

It turns out that asthma is not an overwhelming risk factor for worsening COVID-19, if you compare the proportion of COVID-19 hospitalized patients with asthma, and the proportion of patients who die from COVID-19 with asthma to the local prevalence of asthma.  The data is not precise enough to exclude a small effect, but compared to other risk factors (diabetes, hypertension), it is not whopping.

BC