Listed below are select resources available on The Center for Health Design’s website, as well as from partner organizations, to help healthcare facilities address near-term needs related to the current COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to better inform plans and projects in development now and in the future. While these resources were created to help minimize the impact of infections and transmittable diseases in healthcare facilities, much of the research and guidance is relevant and useful in any built environment.
We hope you find these resources informative and helpful as you navigate these uncertain days, and that you and yours remain in good health.
MakingRoom
Online database connecting hotels with hospitals in urgent need of additional space
Created to provide hospitals and other care providers with a forum to communicate their space needs; and for hotels and others with multi-unit or high-occupancy residential facilities to indicate their capacity and willingness to consider these urgent needs. Submit space needs or availability via online forms; view real-time posted needs and availability lists.
The Latest Information
During this rapidly evolving pandemic, we will be posting the most recent relevant research, in addition to links to our library of related resources such as infection prevention and telemedicine. These materials have been made available quickly (and often at no charge) to advance our understanding of COVID-19, but not all of the studies in press have gone through peer review.
COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)-Specific Research (also listed in our Knowledge Repository - search COVID-19)
Guidance for building a dedicated health facility to contain the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak
This “in press” study by Agarwal and colleagues outlines elements of design of a dedicated unit for epidemics (such as Ebola), but the paper addresses COVID-19 specific requirements to be considered.
Fangcang shelter hospitals: A novel concept for responding to public health emergencies
This health policy paper by Chen and colleagues, published in The Lancet, describes the large-scale, temporary alternative care site hospitals (for example, stadiums and exhibition centers) to isolate patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.
2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic: Built Environment Considerations To Reduce Transmission
This study by Dietz and colleagues synthesize the built environment research that addresses microbiology and what is currently understood about SARS-CoV-2 to provide actionable guidance to decision makers.
Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1
This Letter to the Editors of the New England Journal of Medicine from van Dormalen and colleagues reports the CDC and NIH results of a laboratory controlled experiment to evaluate how long the viruses remained viable on plastic, stainless steel, copper, and cardboard. You may have heard this discussed on the news – this is the original report.
Severe Acute Respiratory Infections Treatment Centre
This World Health Organization Practice Manual provides guidance to set up and manage a severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) treatment centers and screening facilities in healthcare settings to address the COVID-19 pandemic This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO license (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo).
Transmission Potential of SARS-CoV-2 in Viral Shedding Observed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center
This “in press” study by Santarpia and colleagues suggests COVID-19 may be spread through both direct (droplet) as well as indirect contact (contaminated objects and airborne transmission).
COVID-19 may transmit through aerosol
This “in press” Brief Report by Wand and Du, the authors hypothesize that COVID-19 may transmit through aerosol directly. The authors caution this needs to be further verified by experiments.
Risk of nosocomial transmission of coronavirus disease 2019: An experience in a general ward setting in Hong Kong
This pre-proof paper by Wong and colleagues reports an outbreak investigation of a COVID-19 patient who, prior to diagnosis, was in an open bay area. Based on the findings, the authors suggest that SARS-CoV-2 is not spread by airborne routes.
COVID-19 Facility Response Guidance
The following sources provide additional guidance:
AIA Health Task Force Resources
The work of the AIA Health Task Force includes Health Impact Briefings, A Preparedness Assessment Tool for Alternative Care Sites (ACS) in non-healthcare settings, and a searchable COVID-19 ArchMap of built environment solutions being developed nationally and internationally. The tools are to help identify appropriate adaptive reuse sites (such as convention centers, sports arenas, hotels, dorms) during the pandemic.
COVID-19 ArchMap Project Submission
If you are currently planning, working on, or have recently completed, projects or collaborative initiatives responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, please submit your project for inclusion in the public domain COVID-19 ArchMap.
Draft Guidance Document: IAHSS Security Design Guidelines
The IAHSS Council on Guidelines has developed a DRAFT Guidance document on Alternate Care Sites. This document has been drafted to provide guidance to healthcare facilities in preparation of Alternate Care Sites.
Financial Claims Recovery Service
FEMA claims recovery coordination and support
Does your not-for-profit healthcare organization need assistance with financial claims recovery related to COVID-19? Access FEMA claims recovery coordination and support through DRS, an organization with 20 years of FEMA claims recovery experience. DRS provides procurement, FEMA Public Assistance Grant, claims accounting, and grant strategy support to public entities following declared disaster events. Get more information.
Additional Resources
Infection Control Toolbox
Evidence-based strategies, tools and best practices
Over 25 resources -- issue briefs, design strategies, planning tools, lessons learned, project briefs, interviews, webinars and more -- for healthcare facilities, created by The Center for Health Design, with a focus on hand hygiene, contact transmission, surface cleaning and other related topics. Normally available only with Affiliate+ membership, this toolbox is now available for free access. Access the Infection Control Toolbox.
Knowledge Repository
Select articles on relevant topics
Our always-open-access Knowledge Repository contains over 600 resources – Key Point Summaries, articles and research citations – that can support your efforts to integrate more infection control strategies and solutions into your built environment designs. Selected relevant articles include:
Secondary exposure risks to patients in an airborne isolation room
Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Negative-Pressure Isolation Rooms
The influence of human walking on the flow and airborne transmission in a six-bed isolation room
Airflow patterns through single hinged and sliding doors in hospital isolation rooms
Natural Ventilation for the Prevention of Airborne Contagion
HVAC filtration for controlling infectious airborne disease transmission in indoor environments
The Efficacy of Visual Cues to Improve Hand Hygiene Compliance