
Wildfire Smoke May Add To COVID-19 Risk: Study
HuffPost
Scientists at the Desert Research Institute found that coronavirus infection rates increased disproportionately during wildfire season in 2020.
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada-based scientists argue in a new study that wildfire smoke may increase the risk of contracting the coronavirus. A study published last week by scientists at the Desert Research Institute found that coronavirus infection rates increased disproportionately during wildfire season in 2020, when smoke from fires in neighboring states blanketed much of northern Nevada. In a paper in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, Desert Research Institute Assistant Research Scientist Daniel Kiser and four co-authors note the test positivity rate in Washoe County increased significantly during periods when monitors measured high levels of particulate matter in the air from wildfire smoke.More Related News