COVID-19, City Lockdowns, And Air Pollution: Evidence from China
HKUST IEMS Working Papers No. 2020-72
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The rapid spread of COVID-19 is a global public health challenge. To prevent the escalation of its transmission, China locked down one-third of its cities and strictly restricted personal mobility and economic activities. Using timely and comprehensive air quality data in China, we show that these counter-COVID-19 measures led to a remarkable improvement in air quality. Within weeks, the Air Quality Index and PM2.5 concentrations were brought down by 25%. The effects are larger in colder, richer, and more industrialized cities. We estimate that such improvement would avert 24,000 to 36,000 premature deaths from air pollution on a monthly basis.
Here is a press release from HKUST announcing the research findings: HKUST Study Finds City Lockdown Improves Air Quality May Delay 24,000 – 36,000 Early Death Cases
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