[U-22] Environmental drivers and impacts of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic

[U22-P10] A possible role of environmental arsenic against COVID-19

*Satadal Das¹, Milan Sengupta², Rathin Chakraborty³ (1.peerless hospital and b. k. roy research centre, kolkata, india, 2.D. N. De H. Medical College, Kolkata, India., 3.Dr.Bholanath Chakravarty Integrated Medical Research & Treatment Centre, Howrah,West Bengal, India. )

Keywords:COVID-19, arsenic, arsenic compounds

Before 20^th Century arsenic compounds were the first drug of choice in most of the diseases, however, as it is a known poison, it lost its status with the development of modern science, and at present they are only used in four important diseases - acute promyelocytic leukaemia, hepatocellular carcinoma, autoimmune diseases, and in African trypanosomiasis. In this study we first observed much less COVID-19 cases in some arsenic rich groundwater areas of West Bengal. Then we aimed to find out whether negative correlate between groundwater arsenic levels and COVID-19 incidence is present in different parts of the world. We presumed that in developed countries it would be extremely difficult as groundwater arsenic, even if it is present in a much higher level in some areas; it will not influence human beings due to polished modern water supply system. Even then after analysis we became totally convinced that there is a definite relationship and in areas where groundwater arsenic levels are high COVID-19 incidence is much less, and in many countries it is lowest, compared to all other areas in those countries. This finding may be an incidental one, however, we must look details into it.