With the world going through coronavirus scare, Harvard University study finds those living in more polluted areas of the US more likely to die from coronavirus. However, the reports coming from India might suggest the same. Union Health Ministry of India has identified 10 corona hotspots which include Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Kerala and Maharashtra and one each in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
As per Harvard, a small increase in long-term exposure to air pollution leads to a large increase in the death rate from Covid-19.
Delhi's Nizamuddin and Dilshad Garden Area:
Nizamuddin famous for the shrine of the 14h century Sufi mystic Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya, the South Delhi locality has emerged as an epicentre for the spread of the coronavirus in different parts of the country after thousands of people took part in a Tablighi Jamaat congregation from March 1-15. Dilshad Garden in Northeast Delhi made headlines when a woman with travel history to Saudi Arabia tested positive for coronavirus and infected her daughter and two relatives in Jehangirpuri close by.
Delhi has been always in limelight due to air pollution. Nizamuddin which is a tourist-centric spot due to Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid and the Red Fort is a densely populated area and the area has always been under the cloak of air pollution.
Rajasthan's Bhilwara
Rajasthan's Bhilwara is famous for its textile industry. he textile industries of the Bhilwara district displays an annual growth rate of 8 to 10 percent and are widely popular for exporting textile products like synthetic yarn, woolen commodities, cotton yarn, and fabrics.
At once, out of the total 83 coronavirus positive cases detected in Rajasthan, 26 were from the textile town of Bhilwara. However, In the last eight days, only one fresh case of COVID-19 has been reported from Bhilwara. Gratitude to the Rajasthan state government for adopting ruthless containment strategy.
Uttar Pradesh's Noida and Meerut:
UP CM Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday sealed districts like Lucknow, Noida, Ghaziabad, Sitapur, Kanpur, Agra, Ferozabad, Bareilly, Meerut, Shamli, Saharanpur, Bulandshahr, Varanasi, Maharajganj and Basti.
There was a time when Gautam Buddh Nagar adjoining Delhi in western Uttar Pradesh recorded 38 Covid-19 cases, the highest for any district in the country's most populous state. Same in the case of Meerut when the western Uttar Pradesh district is the second hotspot in the state, where the number of cases has crossed the 100 mark. Both these districts face the problem of air pollution.
Maharashtra's Mumbai and Pune:
Maharashtra is the worst affected state from the deadly pandemic in India. The two hotspots are Mumbai and Pune. After several cases of random people testing positive for Covid-19 emerged on Monday in Mumbai, the state health department declared Koliwada area of Worli and the Goregaon suburb as two hotspots.While in Pune, forty-six cases were reported as on Tuesday. The first two positive cases in Maharashtra were reported from Pune on March 9.
Gujarat's Ahmedabad:
There was a time when out of 73 coronavirus cases registered in Gujarat, the highest number of 23 cases has been detected in Ahmedabad district, mostly in Ahmedabad city. Ahmedabad is also known for its industries and factories.
Kerala's Kasaragod and Pathanamthitta
Kasaragod is one of the worst affected districts in the country with the number of positive cases standing at 99, while over 7,725 people are under observation. Pathanamthitta may have reported a lesser number of positive cases at five, but 7,254 people are under observation.
Air pollution exposure deadly for COVID-19 Patients
Adjustments were made for population size, number of hospital beds, numbers of individuals tested, weather and socioeconomic conditions. Results revealed those living in more polluted areas were far more likely to die from coronavirus than those living in areas with cleaner air.