New Delhi, June 4 (IANS): As many as 38.8 per cent people in the national capital and the neighbouring areas reported visiting hospitals due to respiratory discomfort in the past one year, according to a survey released here on Thursday.

These people could be at high risk if they got Covid-19 infection, said the Lung Care Foundation that conducted the survey in February.

The survey included 1,757 residents of the national capital region (NCR) and was aimed at understanding knowledge and attitude of people towards air quality.

Around 82.2 per cent respondents said they were aware of the impact of air pollution on their health. "Though 76.5 per cent people are aware that air pollution impacts lungs, 14.7 per cent that it affects heart, 9.2 per cent that it impacts brain and 1.7 per cent that it impacts the reproductive system," the survey stated.

The Foundation said the people were aware that poor air quality affected their health, but were not aware of the extent of damage.

Abhishek Kumar, Founder and CEO of Lung Care Foundation, said the findings would be crucial in developing a comprehensive, innovative and multipronged public education campaign to combat air pollution in the NCR.

On the occasion of World Environment Day, the website for 'Saaf Hawa Aur Naagrik (SHAN)', an initiative of the Foundation and supported by the US embassy, was also launched.

The website will provide information on air pollution, its causes and health impacts, enabling citizen action for clean air. It will also update citizens about the government initiatives to improve air quality.