Impact of COVID-19 on Environmental Health- A review

Abstract

At a time when health systems throughout the world are grappling with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, its effect on global environment is also a very important factor for consideration. It is a two-way process where the pre-COVID climate factors influenced the landscape in which the disease proliferates around the world andconsequences of the pandemic on our surroundings. The environmental health disparities will also have a long-lasting effect on public health response. The ongoing research on the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 must also include the role of environmental factors in the process of infection and differential severity of the disease.Studies have shown that the virus has created both positive and negative ramifications on the world environment, especially in countries that are the most critically affected by the pandemic. Contingency measures to slow down the virus like self-distancing and total lockdowns have shown improvements in air, water and noise quality with a concomitant decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. On the other hand, waste management is a cause for concern that can result in negative effects on planetary health. At the peak of the infection, most attention has been diverted towards the medical aspects of the pandemic. Gradually, the policy makers have to shift their focus on social and economic avenues, environmental development and sustainability. The objective of this review will be to analyze the impact of the coronavirus on environment and water resources. The study shall update the readers on the various facets of the interaction between this pandemic and environmental health with a model development for long-term sustainability.