Does social isolation during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic increase or decrease noise pollution in urban environment?

Abstract

The pandemic dissemination of SARS-CoV-2 by over 100 countries worldwide caused various governments to impose social mobility restriction measures known as social isolation. This scenario may have, as a side effect, a perception of a reduction in noise pollution, which can be confirmed by measuring the sound impact in public environments in cities subjected to social isolation measures. However, there are reports of growth in complaints to the authorities for noise pollution from residential areas, which may indicate, on the contrary, its increase. Considering these dual facets of the subject is important for any study that wishes to deepen the analysis. Noise pollution and its harmful effects on health are of great relevance in the current pandemic scenario, as they can be added to several other stressors that, together, threaten the mental health of populations in such scenario. This work, based on scientific and press publications made during the period, analyzes and discusses the different facets of this situation that can influence the development of public health policies.