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Research suggests possible link between increases in pollen and COVID-19 cases

That’s unsettling news for the Tampa Bay area, where a coat of yellow pollen is often covering our cars.

TAMPA, Fla. — For the last few weeks, we’ve been telling you about increased pollen counts in the Tampa Bay area.

You just need to look around to see it’s all over the place.

Well, now there’s concern it may not just be an inconvenience for those with allergies as researchers are now pointing to a potential correlation between all that pollen and a rise in COVID-19 cases.

That’s unsettling news for the Bay area, where a coat of yellow pollen may be doing a lot more harm than just covering your car.

“It’s a much more time of concern for us,” said Dr. Mona Mangat, an allergy specialist in St. Petersburg.

Dr. Mangat was referring to research just published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences.  The study suggests a correlation between high pollen counts and an increase in COVID-19 Cases.

“It’s something that we do need to think about and the timing, as you mentioned is quite unfortunate,” said Dr. Mangat, “As we are still in the midst of this global pandemic.”

Researchers found that pollen can weaken the body’s immune system by interfering with proteins that alert it to viruses. That would make all of us, not just allergy sufferers, more susceptible to a cold, the flu – and yes – Covid 19.

“In general, the immune response appears to be altered in a way that does not allow us to fight off the COVID infection and the SARS virus in a way that we should be able to many times,” said Dr. Mangat.

Researchers looked at increased and decreased pollen counts in 31 countries around the world.

On average, they found about 44 percent of the variability in COVID-19 case rates was related to pollen.

It often aligned with higher humidity and temperature as well. That's two more strikes against us.

“Most of the country is not in pollen season. So, we are, we have an especially high burden right now because of our climate and all of that,” said Dr. Mangat. “So yes, it’s something we need to worry about more than say New York, right now.”

Another smaller study conducted by researchers in the Netherlands in October found exactly the opposite. They concluded pollen from blooming tulips correlated with a drop in virus-related illness including COVID-19 but added more research was needed.

“It’s very different,” said Dr. Mangat, “Because flower pollen is usually pollinated by insects. And so, it’s not a wind-pollinated process. And so you’d really have to stick your face up in a tulip in order to get a lot of tulip pollen in your face.”

Dr. Mangat has some recommendations.

“A lot of the pollen tends to be airborne between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. So, trying to limit outdoor activities in the early morning hours is better,” she said. “When you are indoors you want to keep your windows and doors closed even though it is such a beautiful time of year. You don’t want to invite all of that pollen into your home. Making sure that the filter in your air conditioning has been checked and changed frequently, especially when we know that the air quality is so poor.”

“It’s also important to think about when you’re driving this is not a good time to keep your windows open because that leads to large exposures to pollen,” said Dr. Manga.

If nothing else, doctors say the findings also provide another solid reason to be wearing a mask these days. Face coverings are almost certain to protect you from pollen in the air. And based on the new research, perhaps a lot more.

“Whether it is allergic or not,” said Dr. Mangat, “It can be a localized response which would then make that tissue in your nose, your eyes, and your lungs more susceptible to allowing things in that shouldn’t be there.”

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