Revealing associations between exposure to cyanobacteria toxins and COVID-19 outcomes in Colorado [preprint]
Thessen, Anne E ; O'Neil, Shawn T ; Haendel, Melissa A
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Abstract
While environmental exposures are known to play a significant role in human disease, these effects are understudied compared to genomic and molecular components of disease. One example is the effect of chronic, low-level exposures to cyanobacteria toxins on health outcomes. Here we perform a retrospective analysis on real-world data in the National Clinical Cohort Collaborative (N3C) COVID Enclave, examining the possible impact of chronic exposure to cyanobacteria toxin on the severity of COVID-19 outcomes in patients from Colorado. We combined data from N3C, satellite data from the USEPA CyAN project, and field observations from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE). Our results show that COVID-19 patients living near recurring cyanobacteria blooms had 2.75 times higher odds of experiencing severe outcomes (hospitalization or death) than individuals who do not. In addition, living in a county with low to middle levels of poverty had protective effects. Further work is needed to understand the precise mechanism of action and fully understand the long-term risk of chronic exposures to low-level cyanobacteria toxins on health outcomes. International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Statement: Authorship was determined using ICMJE recommendations. IRB: 24-2680 DUR ID: DUR-15EB88A.
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Thessen AE, O'Neil ST, Haendel MA. Revealing associations between exposure to cyanobacteria toxins and COVID-19 outcomes in Colorado. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2025 Aug 5:2025.08.01.25332749. doi: 10.1101/2025.08.01.25332749. PMID: 40799962; PMCID: PMC12340873.
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This article is a preprint. Preprints are preliminary reports of work that have not been certified by peer review.