Following on previous research studies linking high levels of air pollution to an increase in coronavirus morbidity and bad outcomes, Italian scientists have discovered that virus particles can hitch a ride on particles of air pollution, traveling for long distances and potentially spreading contagion far beyond what was previously assumed to be possible.
According to a report in The Guardian, a gene highly specific to COVID-19 was discovered in several samples of air pollution from various sites, and the results were confirmed by blind testing at an independent laboratory.
Italy has been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus, with over 20,000 deaths in recent weeks. It is believed that the high levels of air pollution in several Italian regions, particularly in the north, are at least partially to blame. The region is one of the most polluted areas in Europe.