How Air Pollution May Affect SARS Mortality

Reviewing publicly available data, researchers assessed SARS morbidity and mortality in relation to air pollution through air pollution index (API). Through this data, researchers analyzed the relationship between air quality and SARS mortality rate. 

Ecologic analysis conducted among 5 regions with 100 or more SARS cases showed that case fatality rate increased with the increment of API (case fatality = - 0.063 + 0.001 * API).

Based on this analysis, researchers found that there was a strong relationship between poor air quality and SARS mortality rate, 

SARS patients from regions with moderate APIs had an 84% increased risk of dying from SARS compared to those from regions with low APIs (RR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.41–2.40). Similarly, SARS patients from regions with high APIs were twice as likely to die from SARS compared to those from regions with low APIs. (RR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.31–3.65). 

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Citation: Cui, Yan, et al. “Air Pollution and Case Fatality of SARS in the Peoples Republic of China: an Ecologic Study.” Environmental Health, vol. 2, no. 1, 2003, doi:10.1186/1476-069x-2-15.