Natural History Wanderings

Mother Jones reports

It’s no accident that the most polluted communities are also the most likely to have more severe cases of COVID-19.

Christina Hemphill Fuller is an environmental exposure scientist and epidemiologist focused on the intersection of air pollution, public health, and racial justice. Her expertise has taken on even greater relevance as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that Black and Latino communities have experienced some of the worst effects of COVID-19, being three times as likely to become infected as white people, and nearly twice as likely to die. The Georgia State University professor says it’s not a coincidence that these communities also face more pollution in their daily lives, which makes them more vulnerable to a range of health problems, including lung damage. Fuller’s area of specialty is in a type of air pollution called ultrafine particles, which can lodge deep in the lungs and could make people more likely to experience severe effects of COVID-19.

Read full article Christina Hemphill Fuller: How Trees Can Help Us Fight a Pandemic – Mother Jones