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A new study has found that long-term air pollution increases COVID-19 mortality rates.

The Harvard University researchers behind the , which used data from 3,000 counties across the U.S., found that a small increase in long-term exposure to leads to a large increase in the COVID-19 death rate.

鈥淭he impact is 20 times larger on COVID mortality than it is on mortality in general,鈥� said Rachel Nethery, a co-author of the study.

Nethery said her team was interested in where COVID-19 and air pollution overlap: pre-existing conditions.

鈥淎 lot of the pre-existing conditions that seem to lead to people having really severe COVID outcomes were also pre-existing conditions that we know are caused by air pollution,鈥� she said.

The study focused on long-term, chronic pollution, like what you鈥檇 see in New York, so what the findings mean for much of the Mountain West is unclear.

Air pollution in the region tends to be seasonal. In cities such as Denver and Salt Lake City, ozone pollution peaks in the summer, while oil and gas development in the region can cause  . And then there鈥檚 seasonal and intermittent wildfire smoke.

鈥淭he study results underscore the importance of continuing to enforce existing air pollution regulations to protect human health both during and after the COVID-19 crisis,鈥� the authors wrote.

Find reporter Madelyn Beck on Twitter 

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