Letters | After the coronavirus pandemic, Hong Kong can’t go back to business as usual on air quality
- A new study has underlined the link between exposure to air pollution and fatality from serious respiratory illness, such as Covid-19
- If the Hong Kong government is serious about managing public health, it must tackle air pollution more proactively
Yes, the global environment and air quality have improved due to reduced human activity during the coronavirus pandemic. But it will not last long if we return to business as usual.
Recent scientific reports confirm that reduced human activity has had a positive effect on the environment. Clean Air Network analysed the data from Hong Kong’s Environmental Protection Department and found a reduction in roadside air pollution of up to 32 per cent since the Lunar New Year, attributable to more of the workforce switching to working from home.
In the short term, we may continue with social distancing and therefore derive benefits such as reduced traffic and hence cleaner air. On the other hand, academics and policymakers across the world have begun to debate how to strike a balance between combating disease and protecting the economy. This may suggest that the world is not ready to stay indoors indefinitely, while ensuring the normal functioning of society.
With cities on the verge of resuming activities, we may look at a recent study by the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Earlier studies have shown a strong association between exposure to air pollution and increased risk of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome. This analysis went further and showed that an increase in air pollution levels in the years before the pandemic was associated with a 15 per cent increase in the Covid-19-related death rate.
We have to realise that any mismanagement of air pollution would put additional strain on our tight public health resources.