Exploration of the impact of air pollutants on the influenza epidemic after the emergence of COVID-19: based on Jiangsu Province, China (2020–2024)
BackgroundNon-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic altered influenza transmission patterns, yet the age-specific effects of air pollutants on influenza dynamics remain unclear.MethodsUtilizing influenza surveillance data of Jiangsu Province from 2020 to 2024, we integrate...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1555430/full |
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| author | Chengxi Zheng Xin Jiang Yi Yin Qigang Dai Shuhan Tang Jianli Hu Changjun Bao Haitao Yang Zhihang Peng Zhihang Peng Zhihang Peng |
| author_facet | Chengxi Zheng Xin Jiang Yi Yin Qigang Dai Shuhan Tang Jianli Hu Changjun Bao Haitao Yang Zhihang Peng Zhihang Peng Zhihang Peng |
| author_sort | Chengxi Zheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundNon-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic altered influenza transmission patterns, yet the age-specific effects of air pollutants on influenza dynamics remain unclear.MethodsUtilizing influenza surveillance data of Jiangsu Province from 2020 to 2024, we integrated generalized additive quasi-Poisson regression model and distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) to quantify lagged effects and exposure-response relationships between air pollutants (NO2, SO2, PM2.5) and influenza risk across young, middle-aged, and older adult groups. Meteorological factors, including temperature and humidity, as well as the implementation stages of NPIs, were controlled in the model to isolate the impact of pollutants on influenza transmission.ResultsThe NO2 and SO2 both showed significant positive effects in all age groups. The effect of NO2 is most significant in the young group (RR = 5.02, 95% CI: 4.69–5.37), while SO2 exhibited the most pronounced effects in middle-aged and older adult groups (RR = 4.22, 95% CI: 3.36–5.30; RR = 8.31, 95% CI: 5.77–11.96, respectively). PM2.5 elevated risks in young (RR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.87–2.12) and older adult (RR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.07–1.94) groups. Interactions between meteorological factors (temperature, humidity) and pollutants were statistically insignificant.ConclusionsAir pollutant impacts on influenza transmission are age-dependent: NO2 dominates in younger populations, whereas SO2 disproportionately affects older adults. These findings highlight age-related vulnerability to air pollution and the need for targeted public health strategies for different population subgroups. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-680efdbf7dcd422cb53fe2ebeb9ba88e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-680efdbf7dcd422cb53fe2ebeb9ba88e2025-08-20T03:06:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-04-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.15554301555430Exploration of the impact of air pollutants on the influenza epidemic after the emergence of COVID-19: based on Jiangsu Province, China (2020–2024)Chengxi Zheng0Xin Jiang1Yi Yin2Qigang Dai3Shuhan Tang4Jianli Hu5Changjun Bao6Haitao Yang7Zhihang Peng8Zhihang Peng9Zhihang Peng10School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Acute Infectious Diseases Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Acute Infectious Diseases Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Acute Infectious Diseases Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, ChinaDepartment of Acute Infectious Diseases Control and Prevention, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaNational Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, ChinaChinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, ChinaBackgroundNon-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic altered influenza transmission patterns, yet the age-specific effects of air pollutants on influenza dynamics remain unclear.MethodsUtilizing influenza surveillance data of Jiangsu Province from 2020 to 2024, we integrated generalized additive quasi-Poisson regression model and distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) to quantify lagged effects and exposure-response relationships between air pollutants (NO2, SO2, PM2.5) and influenza risk across young, middle-aged, and older adult groups. Meteorological factors, including temperature and humidity, as well as the implementation stages of NPIs, were controlled in the model to isolate the impact of pollutants on influenza transmission.ResultsThe NO2 and SO2 both showed significant positive effects in all age groups. The effect of NO2 is most significant in the young group (RR = 5.02, 95% CI: 4.69–5.37), while SO2 exhibited the most pronounced effects in middle-aged and older adult groups (RR = 4.22, 95% CI: 3.36–5.30; RR = 8.31, 95% CI: 5.77–11.96, respectively). PM2.5 elevated risks in young (RR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.87–2.12) and older adult (RR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.07–1.94) groups. Interactions between meteorological factors (temperature, humidity) and pollutants were statistically insignificant.ConclusionsAir pollutant impacts on influenza transmission are age-dependent: NO2 dominates in younger populations, whereas SO2 disproportionately affects older adults. These findings highlight age-related vulnerability to air pollution and the need for targeted public health strategies for different population subgroups.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1555430/fullinfluenzaair pollutantsage-specific transmissibilityDLNMCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Chengxi Zheng Xin Jiang Yi Yin Qigang Dai Shuhan Tang Jianli Hu Changjun Bao Haitao Yang Zhihang Peng Zhihang Peng Zhihang Peng Exploration of the impact of air pollutants on the influenza epidemic after the emergence of COVID-19: based on Jiangsu Province, China (2020–2024) Frontiers in Public Health influenza air pollutants age-specific transmissibility DLNM COVID-19 |
| title | Exploration of the impact of air pollutants on the influenza epidemic after the emergence of COVID-19: based on Jiangsu Province, China (2020–2024) |
| title_full | Exploration of the impact of air pollutants on the influenza epidemic after the emergence of COVID-19: based on Jiangsu Province, China (2020–2024) |
| title_fullStr | Exploration of the impact of air pollutants on the influenza epidemic after the emergence of COVID-19: based on Jiangsu Province, China (2020–2024) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploration of the impact of air pollutants on the influenza epidemic after the emergence of COVID-19: based on Jiangsu Province, China (2020–2024) |
| title_short | Exploration of the impact of air pollutants on the influenza epidemic after the emergence of COVID-19: based on Jiangsu Province, China (2020–2024) |
| title_sort | exploration of the impact of air pollutants on the influenza epidemic after the emergence of covid 19 based on jiangsu province china 2020 2024 |
| topic | influenza air pollutants age-specific transmissibility DLNM COVID-19 |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1555430/full |
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