Thread by @j_g_allen

The First Four Healthy Building Strategies Every Building Should Pursue
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@Commissioncovid
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@CorsIAQ @ShellyMBoulder @linseymarr Cadet Pollock @drdavidmichaels Jones @meiralevinson Li Morawska @cleantechcities @MarissaVanry @apsmunro Chen Cao Grier @j_g_allen

#FirstFour
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The Lancet COVID-19 Commission’s Task Force on Safe School, Safe Work, and Safe Travel sought to answer a basic question:

"What set of measures should every building pursue, that would lead to significant public health benefits immediately and through this fall and winter?"

Note that this is not a complete list of measures we recommend - that was not the intent of this report. Other strategies and considerations can be found at the end of our report and this thread

1. COMMISSION OR RECOMMISSION BUILDING SYSTEMS

Covid: brings building back to the way it was designed; improved ventilation and filtration;

Cobenefits: improved IAQ, energy savings

2. MAXIMIZE OUTDOOR AIR

Covid: dilute/displace respiratory particles; assoc w/ reduced risk of transmission

Cobenefits: lower risk of other infectious diseases; improved cog function/worker perf; less absenteeism

3. UPGRADE AIR FILTERS TO MERV 13

Covid: higher-efficiency filter captures more resp particles; particularly important for in-room systems

Cobenefits: reduction of particles of outdoor origin (pollution; wildfire smoke) and indoor origin (from cooking, cleaning)

4. SUPPLEMENT WITH PORTABLE AIR CLEANERS*

Covid: in-room particle reduction; associated with reduced transmission

Cobenefits: (see prev, + within-room filtration)

*size correctly for the room

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

In addition to these first four measures to reduce the risk of airborne infectious disease transmission that every building should implement, other technologies such as germicidal ultraviolet (UV) lights may be warranted in many high-risk situations.

When designed correctly, an upper room germicidal UV system consisting of lamps hung in the upper part of a room, or an in-duct system with lamps that radiate the air as it moves past the light, is very effective at inactivating airborne virus and bacteria.

Additionally, indoor air quality or carbon dioxide monitoring networks may be installed in buildings to gain an approximate sense in real time of whether outdoor air ventilation is sufficient for building occupancy.

Simultaneously, real-time CO2 monitoring generates data that can be used to enhance the efficiency of building energy consumption.

Indoor air quality data and information on ventilation and filtration improvements in buildings should also be shared with building occupants when possible to promote transparency regarding health and safety measures in the building.

Jones, Rainbolt, Marr, Michaels, Cadet, Miller, Levinson, Morawska, Corsi, Pollock, Li, Munro, Grier, Chen, Cao, Allen

The First Four Healthy Building Strategies Every Building Should Pursue to Reduce Risk from COVID-19. Lancet COVID-19 Commission Task Force on Safe School, Safe Work, Safe Travel. 2022.

Full report available here: covid19commission.org/safe-work-trav…