Abstract
Although the lockdown policy implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic indeed improved the air quality and reduced the related health risks, the real effects of the lockdown and its resulting health risks remain unclear considering the effects of unobserved confounders and the longstanding efforts of the government regarding air pollution. We compared air pollution between the lockdown period and the period before the lockdown using a difference-in-differences (DID) model and estimated the mortality burden caused by the number of deaths related to air pollution changes. The NO2 and CO concentrations during the lockdown period (17 days) declined by 8.94 μg/m3 (relative change: 16.94%; 95% CI: 3.71, 14.16) and 0.20 mg/m3 (relative change: 16.95%; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.35) on an average day, respectively, and O3 increased by 8.41 μg/m3 (relative change: 32.80%; 95% CI: 4.39, 12.43); no meaningful impacts of the lockdown policy on the PM2.5, PM10, SO2, or the AQI values were observed. Based on the three clearly changed air pollutants, the lockdown policy prevented 8.22 (95% CI: 3.97, 12.49) all-cause deaths. Our findings suggest that the overall excess deaths caused by air pollution during the lockdown period declined. It is beneficial for human health when strict control measures, such as upgrading industry structure and promoting green transportation, are taken to reduce emissions, especially in cities with serious air pollution in China, such as Shijiazhuang.
Highlights
Published: 18 August 2021The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic identified in 2019 (COVID-19) was reported to have caused 144,358,956 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease worldwide by 24 April 2021 [1]
When controlling for weather variables, individual fixed effects, and time fixed effects, we estimated the relative changes in air pollutants and the AQI in Shijiazhuang relative to those in Baoding by fitting the DID model (Table 3)
We found that the lockdown policy did improve the NO2 and CO
Summary
The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic identified in 2019 (COVID-19) was reported to have caused 144,358,956 confirmed cases of coronavirus disease worldwide by 24 April 2021 [1]. As asymptomatic infections play an important role in the spread of COVID-19 [2], many countries have adopted a series of restrictive measures to address the spread of the virus by implementing lockdown policies such as closing schools, workplaces, and public transport. Some good news about the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has been reported that lockdown policies have positive implications for the environment. Lockdown policies have provided an opportunity to quantitatively evaluate the public health impacts resulting from resisting public transportation, closing factories, and balancing health and financial losses
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
