Rapid climate action is needed: comparing heat vs. COVID-19-related mortality

The impacts of climate change on human health are often underestimated or perceived to be in a distant future. Here, we present the projected impacts of climate change in the context of COVID-19, a recent human health catastrophe. We compared projected heat mortality with COVID-19 deaths in 38 cities worldwide and found that in half of these cities, heat-related deaths could exceed annual COVID-19 deaths in less than ten years (at + 3.0 °C increase in global warming relative to preindustrial). In seven of these cities, heat mortality could exceed COVID-19 deaths in less than five years. Our results underscore the crucial need for climate action and for the integration of climate change into public health discourse and policy.

Palavras-chave

MCC Mortality COVID-19 Heat Climate Change Climate Sciences Determinantes da Saúde e da Doença

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/10522

Citação

Sci Rep. 2025 Jan 6;15(1):1002. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-82788-8

Projetos de investigação

Best-Estimate Projections of Future Compound Extreme Heat, its Impacts and Driving Mechanisms

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Editora

Nature Research

DOI

10.1038/s41598-024-82788-8

Coleções

DEP - Artigos em revistas internacionais
INSA - Artigos em revistas internacionais

Licença CC

cclicense-by

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