Assessing the change of ambient air quality patterns in Jiangsu Province of China pre-to post-COVID-19.

Following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in early 2020, to effectively prevent the spread of the disease, major cities across China suspended work and production. While the rest of the world struggles to control COVID-19, China has managed to control the pandemic rapidly and effectively with strong lockdown policies. This study investigates the change in air pollution (focusing on the air quality index (AQI), six ambient air pollutants nitrogen dioxide (NO), ozone (O), sulphur dioxide (SO), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤10 μm (PM) and ≤2.