The COVID-19 pandemic poses great impacts on most aspects of human activities and the economy and health care systems. Lock-downs, quarantines, and border closures have led to reductions in air pollution through decreased travel and production in the wake of the pandemic. These positive environmental impacts are most likely to be temporary. However, they may display useful application of travel-limiting measures such as teleconferencing. Hence, acknowledging that COVID19 is a public health threat, the pandemic might spark future behavioral changes with positive environmental effects.

International air travel has declined drastically since the first onset of the COVID19 outbreak due to the travel restrictions. Lately, extended travel bans have been executed all over the world. In March 2020 and amid the COVID-19 global public health emergency, more regional quarantine and lockdown measures are being rolled out in several areas, such as the US, the EU, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia, and Australia. These actions will most likely have similar positive effects on reducing air pollution, at least momentarily, as observed in China through the limited use of fossil fuels and reduced discharge from production systems.

The COVID19 pandemic is, first and foremost, a public health emergency with critical economic and health consequences. However, it can also serve as an example that changes in travel and production distinctly and rapidly can improve ambiance air quality and reduce the human carbon footprint, which would translate to enhanced environmental and public health. It remains to be recognized to what degree the pandemic's positive or negative changes, such as the increase in reduced travel and telecommuting, will remain once the immediate threat has ceased.

The drastic actions taken during the pandemic can not be directly applied in non-pandemic times to produce the same positive benefits. However, we can believe that lessons can be learned, actions can be reflected, and that inspiration and motivation can be gained from the fact that immediate positive feedback is seen when action is taken.