Methods for infection prevention in the built environment—a mini-review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that infection prevention actions need to be more efficient in public indoor environments. In addition to SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, many pathogens, including other infectious viruses, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and premise plumbing pathogens, are an invisible threat, especially in public indoor spaces. The indoor hygiene concept for comprehensive infection prevention in built environments highlights that the indoor environment should be considered as a whole when aiming to create buildings with increased infection prevention capacity. Within indoor environments, infections can indirectly spread through surfaces, air, and water systems. Many methods, such as antimicrobial technologies and engineering solutions, targeting these indoor elements are available, which aim to increase the hygiene level in indoor environments. The architectural design itself lays a foundation for more efficient infection prevention in public buildings. Touchless solutions and antimicrobial coatings can be applied to frequently touched surfaces to prevent indirect contact infection. Special ventilation solutions and air purification systems should be considered to prevent airborne infection transmissions. Proper design and use of water supply systems combined with water treatment devices, if necessary, are important in controlling premise plumbing pathogens. This article gives a concise review of the functional and available hygiene-increasing methods—concentrating on indoor surfaces, indoor air, and water systems—to help the professionals, such as designers, engineers, and maintenance personnel, involved in the different stages of a building’s lifecycle, to increase the infection prevention capacity of public buildings.

Unveiling the Symbiosis of Environmental Sustainability and Infection Control in Health Care Settings: A Systematic Review

“…Sustainable design strategies for infection control represent a comprehensive and integral approach in establishing healthier and safer indoor environments across various settings, encompassing buildings and public spaces [50]. These strategies address the dual goal of mitigating the spread of diseases and prioritizing environmentally conscious practices.…”

Who inhabits the built environment? A microbiological point of view on the principal bacteria colonizing our urban areas

“…For surfaces, biocides (permanently bound or released), anti-adhesive, antimicrobial light, and touch-free solutions can be considered. For controlling plumbing pathogens, water pipeline design and configuration, choice of water outlets, the materials used in contact with water, filtration, disinfection by chlorine-based chemicals, UV light, ozone, and copper-silver ionization, temperature, and flow regulation should be taken into consideration ( Salonen et al, 2023 ) ( Supplementary Table S2 ).…”

Covid 19 Impact on Families

“…Sports and physical activities, which involve close contact with others in shared spaces such as locker rooms, bathrooms, and common areas in schools, can also increase the risk of exposure to the virus. These activities increase the chance of contact with contaminated surfaces or proximity to infected individuals (Salonen et al 2023).…”