The simple answer is that Covid-19 is equally threatening to rich and poor anywhere in the world, while death from pollution is a highly localized problem, both

The simple answer is that Covid-19 is equally threatening to rich and poor anywhere in the world, while death from pollution is a highly localized problem, both in terms of geography and socio-economic position. This obviously doesn't take into account the danger of climate change or other dangers caused by the same pollution that we simply overlook.