Simona Iodice

Abstract Air particulate matter (PM) is widely recognized for its potential to negatively affect human health, including changes in the upper respiratory microbiome. However, research on PM-associated microbiota remains limited and mostly focused on PM (e.g., PM2.5 and PM10). This study aims to characterize for the first time the microbiome of Total Suspended Particles (TSP) and investigate the correlations of indoor TSP with the human upper respiratory microbiome.

1. Introduction The first case of novel coronavirus-associated pneumonia was reported in Wuhan City, China [1] in December 2019 and a new coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2, was identified as the cause of this severe respiratory illness, called Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) by the World Health Organization (WHO) on February 2020 and declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020.

Introduction Air pollution and climate change are intrinsically linked emerging hazards for global health.1–3 High air particulate matter (PM) levels have repeatedly been linked to the occurrence of fatal and non-fatal acute cardiovascular events.4–6 Approximately one-half of cardiovascular deaths are due to out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs), which are defined as the cessation of cardiac mechanical activity occurring outside the hospital.