SARS-CoV-2 and Environmental Changes: The Perfect Storm

: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy. It also\r\nprovided insights into how the looming global climate crisis might be addressed, as there are several\r\nsimilarities between the challenges proposed by COVID-19 and those expected from the coming\r\nclimate emergency. COVID-19 is an immediate health threat, but climate change represents a more\r\ngradual and insidious risk that will lead to long-term consequences for human health. Research\r\nshows that climate change, air pollution and the pandemics have a negative impact on health. Recent\r\nstudies show that COVID-19 mortality increases with climate extremes. The goal of our review is to\r\nanalyze the clinical findings of COVID-19 and how they are affected by the climate change, while also\r\nproviding insight into the emergence of new variants and their ability to evade the immune system.\r\nWe selected and synthesized data from primary studies, reviews, meta-analyses, and systematic\r\nreviews. Selection was based on rigorous methodological and relevance criteria. Indeed, a new\r\nvariant of SARS-CoV-2, named JN.1, has emerged as the dominant, first in the United States and then\r\nworldwide; the variant has specific mutations in its spike proteins that increase its transmissibility.\r\nAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), JN.1 is currently the most reported variant\r\nof interest (VOI), having been identified in 132 countries. We highlight the link between climate\r\nchange and pandemics, emphasizing the need for global action, targeted medical approaches and\r\nscientific innovation.