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During the first confinement in the spring of 2020, the drop in nitrogen dioxide emissions emitted into the atmosphere, linked to the sudden stoppage of transport, would have saved more than 800 lives in Europe, according to a recent study.
According to this study published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, hundreds of lives were saved across Europe during the first lockdown. To arrive at these results, the research compared the measures taken in 47 European cities between February and July 2020 to stem the Covid-19 pandemic.
Decline in nitrogen dioxide in the air
Lockdowns, closing schools and workplaces, and canceling public events are the restrictions that appear to have been effective in lowering nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels. The temporary cessation of these activities has indeed greatly contributed to reducing the number of cars and trucks on the roads, explain the researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), who carried out the study.
During this period, a steady decrease in surface NO2 concentrations was observed across Europe. A reduction of more than 50% has even been observed in Spain (Madrid), Portugal (Lisbon), France (Lyon and Paris) and Italy (Milan, Turin and Rome). Paris, Barcelona and Milan, which saw a drop in NO2 of between 50 and 60%, are the three cities where the highest number of deaths have been avoided.
Evaluate what is possible to continue to do
“Governments’ response to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic offers an unprecedented case study to assess a range of interventions aimed at reducing anthropogenic emissions from multiple sectors such as road transport, the energy industry, the manufacturing, commercial and public services, shipping and aviation“, conclude the authors of the study.
Levels of fine particulates have also fallen over this period, but to a lesser extent, as they are also emitted by natural sources such as forest fires, as well as by certain household activities such as wood heating.
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60,000 Covid deaths avoided by containment
In addition to these indirect deaths, the first containment of spring 2020 has “avoided the death of 60,000 people from Covid”according to the models of several researchers and epidemiologists, published on the MedRvix website. In total, they estimate according to their calculations that the containment even allowed “prevent 83.5% of deaths“at the time of the appearance and the strong circulation of the virus, at the beginning of the year 2020.