Can your hospital, apartment, hotel, or office protect you from viral particles in other rooms? We are working on it!
In the wake of COVID-19, new ways are needed to track and subdue airborne viruses. Besides wind and breath, the mechanical movers of air, like A/C, ventilation, and heating systems have potential to both filter out airborne viruses and also to distribute them.
Our new paper assesses the role of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in airborne viral transmission. IHBE & BioBE sought to determine whether there were SARS-CoV-2 viral particles in the air handling units in a healthcare setting where COVID 19 patients were being treated. We found SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the HVAC systems, meaning that the virus could potentially spread from isolated rooms to other areas. Read our paper here.
Although further research is needed, with this new information we may provide guidance to building operators, especially in hospitals. Here’s to continuing to design buildings for occupant health and safety!
