Prof. Dr. László Makra, University of Szeged, Faculty of AgricultureNot a cold, but a pollen allergy
I was about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old when it first happened. On that warm summer day, my nose started to flow; I was in tears, sometimes sneezing. I was experiencing the symptoms of the common cold. At last, I went to an ear, nose, and throat specialist and told him the history of my symptoms, which had been recurring during the hottest weeks of the summer for three years in a row. He told me then that I probably had allergies. After a thorough investigation, it was found that I was sensitive to many allergens. Of these, ragweed pollen caused the strongest reaction to my body.
Pollen vs. health related and economic damages
Ragweed is an invasive plant, expanding aggressively. Pollen of ragweed is the most aggressive of that of all taxa. Damage caused by ragweed and its pollen accounts for a significant share of GDP (Gross domestic product). In Hungary, this ratio is approx. 0.4-0.5% of the GDP [1].
Pollen vs. climate changeGlobal warming increases pollen concentrations prolongs the pollen season, and extends the habitats of allergenic taxa to the north. Hence, the number of allergic diseases increases globally; as a result, global public health risk increases [2]. Sensitization to ragweed pollen will more than double in Europe, from 33 million people (1986-2005) to 77 million by 2041-2060 [3].
A 2D animation based on a Europe-wide station database illustrates the daily change in ragweed pollen concentration from the beginning to the end of the pollen season, showing well the areas in Europe where those sensitive to ragweed pollen are at increased health risk. [6]
A 3D animation based on a Europe-wide station database illustrates the daily change in ragweed pollen concentration from the beginning to the end of the pollen season, showing well the areas in Europe where those sensitive to ragweed pollen are at increased health risk. [6]
In addition to aerosols of local origin, aerosols that travel thousands of kilometres from their place of origin with air currents increase the biological activity of pollen grains, and thus the health risk of those who are sensitive to them. [7]
The globally increasing positive values of annual temperature anomalies are a clear indication of global warming, as a result of which pollen concentration increases, pollen season extends, habitats of allergen taxa extend northwards in the northern hemisphere, more and more people will be affected and the global public health risk increases. [8]
Pollen vs. atmospheric CO2 level Due to the increase in atmospheric CO2 level, pollen production and, as a result, the number of allergic diseases also increase [4].
Pollen vs. COVID interactions
Pollen concentration, in interaction with air humidity and air temperature, explain on average 44% of the variability in SARS-CoV-2 infection rate. This means that slightly more than 50% of the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection can be explained by unknown / other factors (excluding lockdown). Lockdown on the other hand halved infection rates under similar pollen concentrations.
Pollen is a major concern for many respiratory and non-respiratory diseases (conjunctivitis, rhinitis, asthma, etc.). Even if you are healthy, coexposure of air pollution and airborne pollen enhances susceptibility to respiratory viral infections. In addition, the ever-increasing environmental stress (chemicals, plastics and other artificial materials in everyday life), as well as global warming induced increasing pollen concentrations involve a great threat and at the same time a great challenge for humanity, to which we must prepare and respond appropriately.
Keywords: pollen, allergy, climate change, social and economic damages, pollen vs. COVID interactionsReferences
[1] Makra, L., Matyasovszky, I., Hufnagel, L., Tusnády, G., 2015: The history of ragweed in the world. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research, 13(2), 489-512.
[2] Ziska, L.H., Makra, L., Harry, S.K., Bruffaerts, N., Hendrickx, M., Coates, F., Saarto, A., Thibaudon, M., Oliver, G., Damialis, A., Charalampopoulos, A., Vokou, D., Heiđmarsson, S., Guđjohnsen, E., Bonini, M., Oh, J-W., Sullivan, K., Ford, L., Brooks, G.D., Myszkowska, D., Severova, E., Gehrig, R., Ramón, G.D., Beggs, P.J., Knowlton, K., Crimmins, A.R., 2019: Temperature-related changes in airborne allergenic pollen abundance and seasonality across the northern hemisphere: a retrospective data analysis. The Lancet Planetary Health, 3(3):e124–e131. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(19)30015-4
[3] Lake, I., Colon, F., Jones, N., 2018: Quantifying the health effects of climate change upon pollen allergy: a combined cohort and modelling study. The Lancet Planetary Health, 2, S16.
[4] Ziska, L.H., 2003: Evaluation of the growth response of six invasive species to past, present and future atmospheric carbon dioxide. Journal of Experimental Botany 54 (381), 395-404.
[5] Damialis, A., Gilles, S., Sofiev, M., Sofieva, V., Kolek, F., Bayr, D., Plaza, M.P., Leier-Wirtz, V., Kaschuba, S., Ziska, L.H., Bielory, L., Makra, L., del Mar Trigo, M., COVID-19/POLLEN study group, Traidl-Hoffmann, C., 2021: Higher airborne pollen concentrations correlated with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, as evidenced from 31 countries across the globe. PNAS, 118(12), e2019034118, pp. 1-10. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2019034118;
[6] Makra, L., †Matyasovszky, I., Tusnády, G., Ziska, L.H., Hess, J.J., Nyúl, L.G., Chapman, D.S., Coviello, L., Gobbi, A., Jurman, G., Damialis, A., Reiczigel, J., Schneider, N., Szabó, B., Csépe, Z., Sümeghy, Z., Páldy, A., Magyar, D., Mányoki, G., Erostyák, J., Bergmann, K.C., Deák, Á.J., Thibaudon, M., Albertini, R., Bonini, M., Šikoparija, B., Radišić, P., Mitrović Josipović, M., Gehrig, R., Severova, E., Rodinkova, V., Stjepanović, B., Ianovici, N., Berger, U., Kofol Seliger, A., Rybníček, O., Myszkowska, D., Dąbrowska-Zapart, K., Majkowska-Wojciechowska, B., Weryszko-Chmielewska, E., Grewling, Ł., Rapiejko, P., Malkiewicz, M., Šaulienė, I., Shalaboda, V., Prikhodko, A., Maleeva, A., Yankova, R., Peternel, R., Ščevková, J., Bullock, J.M., 2021: New maps of airborne ragweed pollen concentrations, ragweed phenology and frost related characteristics for Europe Application of the Gaussian method and the use of deep learning to reconstruct missing daily pollen concentrations: the first recovered station databases. Global Change Biology (before submission)
[7] Bartra, J., Mullol, J., del Cuvillo, A., Davila, I., Ferrer, M., Jauregui, I., Montoro, J., Sastre, J., Valero, A., 2007: Air pollution and allergens. J Investigational Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 17, Suppl. 2, 3-8.
[8] Ziska, L.H., Makra, L., Harry, S.K., Bruffaerts, N., Hendrickx, M., Coates, F., Saarto, A., Thibaudon, M., Oliver, G., Damialis, A., Charalampopoulos, A., Vokou, D., Heiđmarsson, S., Guđjohnsen, E., Bonini, M., Oh, J-W., Sullivan, K., Ford, L., Brooks, G.D., Myszkowska, D., Severova, E., Gehrig, R., Ramón, G.D., Beggs, P.J., Knowlton, K., Crimmins, A.R., 2019: Temperature-related changes in airborne allergenic pollen abundance and seasonality across the northern hemisphere: a retrospective data analysis. The Lancet Planetary Health, 3(3):e124–e131. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(19)30015-4
Damialis, A., Gilles, S., Sofiev, M., Sofieva, V., Kolek, F., Bayr, D., Plaza, M.P., Leier-Wirtz, V., Kaschuba, S., Ziska, L.H., Bielory, L., Makra, L., del Mar Trigo, M., COVID-19/POLLEN study group, Traidl-Hoffmann, C., 2021: Higher airborne pollen concentrations correlated with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, as evidenced from 31 countries across the globe. PNAS, 118(12), e2019034118, pp. 1-10. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2019034118
[2] Ziska, L.H., Makra, L., Harry, S.K., Bruffaerts, N., Hendrickx, M., Coates, F., Saarto, A., Thibaudon, M., Oliver, G., Damialis, A., Charalampopoulos, A., Vokou, D., Heiđmarsson, S., Guđjohnsen, E., Bonini, M., Oh, J-W., Sullivan, K., Ford, L., Brooks, G.D., Myszkowska, D., Severova, E., Gehrig, R., Ramón, G.D., Beggs, P.J., Knowlton, K., Crimmins, A.R., 2019: Temperature-related changes in airborne allergenic pollen abundance and seasonality across the northern hemisphere: a retrospective data analysis. The Lancet Planetary Health, 3(3):e124–e131. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(19)30015-4
[3] Lake, I., Colon, F., Jones, N., 2018: Quantifying the health effects of climate change upon pollen allergy: a combined cohort and modelling study. The Lancet Planetary Health, 2, S16.
[4] Ziska, L.H., 2003: Evaluation of the growth response of six invasive species to past, present and future atmospheric carbon dioxide. Journal of Experimental Botany 54 (381), 395-404.
[5] Damialis, A., Gilles, S., Sofiev, M., Sofieva, V., Kolek, F., Bayr, D., Plaza, M.P., Leier-Wirtz, V., Kaschuba, S., Ziska, L.H., Bielory, L., Makra, L., del Mar Trigo, M., COVID-19/POLLEN study group, Traidl-Hoffmann, C., 2021: Higher airborne pollen concentrations correlated with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, as evidenced from 31 countries across the globe. PNAS, 118(12), e2019034118, pp. 1-10. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2019034118;
[6] Makra, L., †Matyasovszky, I., Tusnády, G., Ziska, L.H., Hess, J.J., Nyúl, L.G., Chapman, D.S., Coviello, L., Gobbi, A., Jurman, G., Damialis, A., Reiczigel, J., Schneider, N., Szabó, B., Csépe, Z., Sümeghy, Z., Páldy, A., Magyar, D., Mányoki, G., Erostyák, J., Bergmann, K.C., Deák, Á.J., Thibaudon, M., Albertini, R., Bonini, M., Šikoparija, B., Radišić, P., Mitrović Josipović, M., Gehrig, R., Severova, E., Rodinkova, V., Stjepanović, B., Ianovici, N., Berger, U., Kofol Seliger, A., Rybníček, O., Myszkowska, D., Dąbrowska-Zapart, K., Majkowska-Wojciechowska, B., Weryszko-Chmielewska, E., Grewling, Ł., Rapiejko, P., Malkiewicz, M., Šaulienė, I., Shalaboda, V., Prikhodko, A., Maleeva, A., Yankova, R., Peternel, R., Ščevková, J., Bullock, J.M., 2021: New maps of airborne ragweed pollen concentrations, ragweed phenology and frost related characteristics for Europe Application of the Gaussian method and the use of deep learning to reconstruct missing daily pollen concentrations: the first recovered station databases. Global Change Biology (before submission)
[7] Bartra, J., Mullol, J., del Cuvillo, A., Davila, I., Ferrer, M., Jauregui, I., Montoro, J., Sastre, J., Valero, A., 2007: Air pollution and allergens. J Investigational Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 17, Suppl. 2, 3-8.
[8] Ziska, L.H., Makra, L., Harry, S.K., Bruffaerts, N., Hendrickx, M., Coates, F., Saarto, A., Thibaudon, M., Oliver, G., Damialis, A., Charalampopoulos, A., Vokou, D., Heiđmarsson, S., Guđjohnsen, E., Bonini, M., Oh, J-W., Sullivan, K., Ford, L., Brooks, G.D., Myszkowska, D., Severova, E., Gehrig, R., Ramón, G.D., Beggs, P.J., Knowlton, K., Crimmins, A.R., 2019: Temperature-related changes in airborne allergenic pollen abundance and seasonality across the northern hemisphere: a retrospective data analysis. The Lancet Planetary Health, 3(3):e124–e131. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(19)30015-4
Damialis, A., Gilles, S., Sofiev, M., Sofieva, V., Kolek, F., Bayr, D., Plaza, M.P., Leier-Wirtz, V., Kaschuba, S., Ziska, L.H., Bielory, L., Makra, L., del Mar Trigo, M., COVID-19/POLLEN study group, Traidl-Hoffmann, C., 2021: Higher airborne pollen concentrations correlated with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection rates, as evidenced from 31 countries across the globe. PNAS, 118(12), e2019034118, pp. 1-10. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2019034118
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Not a cold, but a pollen allergy
Pollen vs. health related and economic damages
Pollen vs. climate change
Pollen vs. atmospheric CO2 level
Pollen vs. COVID interactions
