{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.0432937181663837, 'fraction_numerical': 0.045415959252971136, 'mean_word_length': 4.8925, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 4, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
COVID-19 and PM2.5 Sodium Chloride content


 INTRODUCTION: Following national lockdown instituting physical distancing, COVID-19 infection and mortality decreased in most countries. Simultaneously due to diminished economic and human activity, the atmospheric levels of PM2.5, an important airborne pollutant, decreased significantly. COVID-19 has been found adherent to PM2.5. PM2.5 has various components including sodium chloride which determines the amount of PM2.5 salt-derived water content. Atmospheric salt content in part determines the sodium chloride content and the consequential hygroscopicity of PM2.5. COVID-19 possesses a C-terminal protein which is hydrophobic.METHOD: The sodium chloride content of the PM2.5 species was assessed in two groups of cities. Cities were chosen as opposed to countries, because substantial regional differences in infection rates were noted between inland and coastal cities. These cities were differentiated by the rate COVID-19 infection and consequent mortality. Atmospheric salt content was obtained from research that assessed chloride ion wet deposition, a proxy for airborne salinity. The salt content of the relevant PM2.5 species was obtained from publications from the various cities assessed.RESULTS: Cities with high COVID-19 infection rates had PM2.5 species with significantly lower salt content than the cities with low Covid-17 infection. The PM2.5 salt content in the cities with elevated COVID-19 rates was 0.196µg/m3 SD 0.05µg/m3, while cities with low COVID-19 rates had a PM2.5 salt content of 0.81µg/m3 SD 0.32µg/m3 (p<0.0001).There was a significant correlation between atmospheric salinity and the salt content of PM2.5. PM2.5 salt content correlated with minimum atmospheric salinity (R=0.53, p < 0.01) and maximum atmospheric salinity (R=0.64, p <0.002). There appears to be an inverse relationship between COVID-19 infection and atmospheric salt content levels. Cities that were spared high COVID-19 infection rates, have higher maximum/minimum atmospheric salinity content levels (216-1080 mgCl/m2/day) compared to sodium chloride levels noted in cities with high COVID-19 rates of infection (40-125. mgCl/m2/day) (p<0.005).CONCLUSION: PM2.5 with low salt content, in the presence of low ambient salinity may be linked to an increased risk of COVID-19 infection in the population.