Study: PFAS Compound Is Linked To More Severe Form Of COVID-19

Dec. 14, 2020
People with elevated levels of PFBA were twice as likely to have a severe form of COVID-19, according to the study.

A Danish study currently under peer review indicates that people with elevated levels of the chemical PFBA in their blood are twice as likely to suffer a severe form of COVID-19, according to an article from The Intercept. The research reportedly involved 323 patients infected with the coronavirus, 215 of whom were hospitalized. PFBA is in a class of industrial compounds often referred to as “forever chemicals.”

PFBA, created by 3M, is presented as safer than some other compounds in the class because it exits the bloodstream relatively quickly, according to the article. However, it reportedly accumulates in the lungs, “which is where the big COVID battle is fought,” says Philippe Grandjean, the principal author of the study. 3M referred to a statement on its website that notes, “the available scientific evidence does not support a causal relationship between PFAS exposures and COVID-19 health outcomes.”

Read the entire article here.

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