COVID — 19: Lockdown and Stay — at — Home Policy, not only a Prevention but also an Answer to Earth Recovery and Detoxification
World responses to the COVD — 19 pandemic have been varied, curfew, lockdown, social distancing, and quarantine are the most popular responses and policy to prevent the pandemic from spreading. Debates, and opinion among the experts, chaotic system, economic crisis, and security problems leading pandemic even more terrorizing. News about infection in a place like pentagon and Bill Gates decision to leave board of Microsoft because embarrassment by he — already — warn pandemic of corona virus would had to be concerned 5 years ago, dividing concentration in solving which problems that must be done at first. Good news keep being reported and announced to decrease sparked fear amidst citizen every country. Lately another good news been reported, the impact of Lockdown and Stay — at — Home policy. Earth is getting recover from air and water pollution in every continent. World emissions decreasing down in huge number by the average, ozone pollutant we known with the name nitrogen dioxide is the most significant air pollution in amount of decreasing in number.
The World Health Organization states nitrogen dioxide now, toxic gas which causing significant inflammation in ozone, at concentration above 200 micrograms/ cubic meter. Meanwhile WHO investigating whether airborne pollution could be a device and vector helping COVID — 19 forming new mutation and be more virulent, scientist study and experimenting how much pollution been decreased during the pandemic.
Studies published in journal Geophysical Research Letters, found pollutant nitrogen dioxide over northern China, U.S, and Western Europe decreased 60 percent in first quarter, early 2020, compared same period last year. Another study finding is, in norther China, particulate matter pollution smaller than 2.5 microns has been decreased by 35 per cent. Condition of air quality never been better since air quality monitoring satellites began in 1990s. Stavrakou said, “Maybe this unintended experiment could be used to understand better the emission regulations. It is some positive news among a very tragic situation”. The researchers noted that air quality improvements may be temporary, but the findings could give a glimpse what ideal air quality would be in the future, as emissions regulations become more strict. Stavrakou and her colleagues found nitrogen dioxide pollution decreasing by 40 per cent in every China cities and by 20–38 per cent in Western Europe and U.S during lockdown in 2020, as they compared with period back in 2019. Otherwise, pollutant ozone, nitrogen dioxide did not decrease during the lockdown in Iran, because the policy were not in place and the order to Stay — at — Home ignored by numbers of citizen.
Expected result prevailed that earth in condition of increasing water quality in every continent across the world. Quantitative work been done showing one of the lake, longest freshwater in India, Vembanad Lake in terms of measurement suspended particulate matter (SPM), through remote sensing images demonstrated improvement in quality of water. The SPM estimated concentration decreased average by 15.9 per cent lowest in 11 of 20 zones during Lockdown period compared with pre — Lockdown. The percentage decreasing in SPM for April 2020 is up to 34% compared with preceding years.
Even low carbon economy still be a dream of every country, all attempts that have been tried to achieve ideal emission is undergo in every sector. Improvement of air quality could give huge impact in increasing clean and health environment to reduce cases other than COVID — 19. “Are we looking at what we might see in the future if we can move to a low-carbon economy? Not to denigrate the loss of life, but this might give us some hope from something terrible. To see what can be achieved” (Paul Monks).
