Particulate matter and SARS-CoV-2: a possible model of COVID-19 transmission

Tung, Nguyen Thanh, Cheng, Po-Ching, Chi, Kai-Hsien, Hsiao, Ta-Chi, Jones, Timothy ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4466-1260, BéruBé, Kelly ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7471-7229, Ho, Kin-Fai and Chuang, Hsiao-Chi 2021. Particulate matter and SARS-CoV-2: a possible model of COVID-19 transmission. Science of the Total Environment 750 , 141532. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141532

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Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an acute respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly developed into a pandemic throughout the world. This disease is a highly infectious novel coronavirus and can affect people of all ages. Previous reports observed that particulate matter (PM) provided a platform for intermixing with viruses (i.e., influenza). However, the role of PM in SARS-CoV-2 transmission remains unclear. In this paper, we propose that PM plays a direct role as a “carrier” of SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 is reported to have a high affinity for the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. Indirectly, exposure to PM increases ACE2 expression in the lungs which facilitates SARS-CoV-2 viral adhesion. Thus, the high risk of SARS-CoV-2 in heavily polluted regions can be explained by upregulation of ACE2 caused by PM. PM could be both a direct and indirect transmission model for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Earth and Environmental Sciences Schools > Biosciences
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0048-9697
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	6 August 2020
Date of Acceptance:	4 August 2020
Last Modified:	22 Nov 2024 18:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/134009

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