Susceptibility to COVID-19 after High Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances from Contaminated Drinking Water: An Ecological Study from Ronneby, Sweden
(2021) In International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18(20).- Abstract
- There is concern that immunotoxic environmental contaminants, particularly perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may play a role in the clinical course of COVID-19 and epidemiologic studies are needed to answer if high-exposed populations are especially vulnerable in light of the ongoing pandemic. The objective was, therefore, to determine if exposure to highly PFAS-contaminated drinking water was associated with an increased incidence of COVID-19 in Ronneby, Sweden, during the first year of the pandemic. We conducted an ecological study determining the sex- and age-standardized incidence ratio (SIR) in the adult population relative to a neighboring reference town with similar demographic characteristics but with only background levels of... (More)
- There is concern that immunotoxic environmental contaminants, particularly perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may play a role in the clinical course of COVID-19 and epidemiologic studies are needed to answer if high-exposed populations are especially vulnerable in light of the ongoing pandemic. The objective was, therefore, to determine if exposure to highly PFAS-contaminated drinking water was associated with an increased incidence of COVID-19 in Ronneby, Sweden, during the first year of the pandemic. We conducted an ecological study determining the sex- and age-standardized incidence ratio (SIR) in the adult population relative to a neighboring reference town with similar demographic characteristics but with only background levels of exposure. In Sweden, COVID-19 is subject to mandatory reporting, and we retrieved aggregated data on all verified cases until 3 March 2021 from the Public Health Agency of Sweden. The SIR in Ronneby was estimated at 1.19 (95% CI: 1.12; 1.27). The results suggest a potential link between high PFAS exposure and susceptibility to COVID-19 that warrants further research to clarify causality. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/0a642b32-7956-4d7b-aabf-cc12a6dce39c
- author
- Nielsen, Christel LU and Jöud, Anna LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- COVID-19, PFAS, drinking water contamination, public health, immunotoxicity
- in
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- volume
- 18
- issue
- 20
- article number
- 10702
- publisher
- MDPI AG
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85116841120
- pmid:34682448
- ISSN
- 1660-4601
- DOI
- 10.3390/ijerph182010702
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 0a642b32-7956-4d7b-aabf-cc12a6dce39c
- alternative location
- https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/20/10702
- date added to LUP
- 2021-10-12 15:40:59
- date last changed
- 2022-04-27 04:43:10
@article{0a642b32-7956-4d7b-aabf-cc12a6dce39c, abstract = {{There is concern that immunotoxic environmental contaminants, particularly perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), may play a role in the clinical course of COVID-19 and epidemiologic studies are needed to answer if high-exposed populations are especially vulnerable in light of the ongoing pandemic. The objective was, therefore, to determine if exposure to highly PFAS-contaminated drinking water was associated with an increased incidence of COVID-19 in Ronneby, Sweden, during the first year of the pandemic. We conducted an ecological study determining the sex- and age-standardized incidence ratio (SIR) in the adult population relative to a neighboring reference town with similar demographic characteristics but with only background levels of exposure. In Sweden, COVID-19 is subject to mandatory reporting, and we retrieved aggregated data on all verified cases until 3 March 2021 from the Public Health Agency of Sweden. The SIR in Ronneby was estimated at 1.19 (95% CI: 1.12; 1.27). The results suggest a potential link between high PFAS exposure and susceptibility to COVID-19 that warrants further research to clarify causality.}}, author = {{Nielsen, Christel and Jöud, Anna}}, issn = {{1660-4601}}, keywords = {{COVID-19; PFAS; drinking water contamination; public health; immunotoxicity}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{20}}, publisher = {{MDPI AG}}, series = {{International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}}, title = {{Susceptibility to COVID-19 after High Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances from Contaminated Drinking Water: An Ecological Study from Ronneby, Sweden}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010702}}, doi = {{10.3390/ijerph182010702}}, volume = {{18}}, year = {{2021}}, }