Abstract
Coordination of efforts to assess the challenges and pain points felt by industries from around the globe working to reduce COVID-19 transmission in the indoor environment as well as innovative solutions applied to meet these challenges is mandatory. Indoor infectious viral disease transmission (such as coronavirus, norovirus, influenza) is a complex problem that needs better integration of our current knowledge and intervention strategies. Critical to providing a reduction in transmission is to map the four core technical areas of environmental microbiology, transmission science, building science, and social science. To that end a three-stage science and innovation Summit was held to gather information on current standards, policies and procedures applied to reduce transmission in built spaces, as well as the technical challenges, science needs, and research priorities. The Summit elucidated steps than can be taken to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2 indoors and calls for significant investments in research to enhance our knowledge of viral pathogen persistence and transport in the built environment, risk assessment and mitigation strategy such as processes and procedures to reduce the risk of exposure and infection through building systems operations, biosurveillance capacity, communication form leadership, and stakeholder engagement for optimal response. These findings reflect the effective application of existing knowledge and standards, emerging science, and lessons-learned from current efforts to confront SARS-CoV-2.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 641599 |
Journal | Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology |
Volume | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 29 2021 |
Funding
The authors acknowledge the contributions of Summit Steering Committee, participants, moderators, numerous speakers from industry, government and academic institutions that shared their experience and insights including Kesal Patel, Anthony Cowan, Edward Cowan, Destiny Aman, Ginger Chew, Bryon Marsh, Travis McLing, Shawn Ryan, Tod Companion, Matthew Moe, Kristen Omberg, Ajay Menon, Boris Lushniak, Andrew Persily, Jennifer Roberts, John Koerner, John Spengler, Justine Parker, Matthew Fields, Meghan Suter, Ramon Sanchez, Bill Adams, Lidia Morawska, Wendy Purcell, Keely Maxwell, Brett Cole, Claire Bird, Sonya Stokes, John Howard, Francis Padilla, Jennifer Lincoln, and David Michaels. Funding for Summit was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Cardno ChemRisk, AIHA, HWC, and Re-U-Zip.
Keywords
- COVID-19
- SARS-CoV-2
- biosurveillance
- buildings
- human factors
- indoors
- risk reduction and mitigation measures
- transmission
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Bioengineering
- Biotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Histology