Abstract:
Sub-Saharan Africa has been the last continent to experience a significant number of cases in the
novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Several studies have suggested that air pollution is related to
COVID-19 mortality; poor air quality has been linked to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and
respiratory disease, which are considered co-morbidities linked to COVID-19 deaths. We examine
potential connections between country-wide COVID-19 mortality and environmental conditions
in Senegal, Cabo Verde, Nigeria, Cote D'Ivoire, and Angola. We analyze PM2.5 concentrations
from cost-effective in situ measurements, aerosol optical depth (AOD), and fire count from spaceborne
platforms during the dry season when biomass burning aerosols are present in Southern
Africa. In addition, we examine the COVID-19 mortality during the wet season using space-borne
rain measurements to determine potential linkages which might occur as a result of time spent
indoors and concurrent cases of flu, waterborne and vector-borne diseases in West Africa. Results
are presented from March through November of 2020. The current dry season has the potential to
increase the severity of COVID-19 cases because of expected poor air quality.
