Whether we like it or not, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced every building professional to learn about infection control. Once a consideration limited to health care facilities, reducing the infectivity of the indoor environment is now the No. 1 concern in every occupied building. This priority even trumps energy conservation as demonstrated by recommendations for maximum ventilation rates irrespective of the outdoor temperature.
Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2, including distances over a 6-foot limit, has now been deemed the most influential transmission route by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Engineers and building managers now have the opportunity and responsibility to save lives by decreasing virus exposure in breathing zones. The opportunity goes beyond COVID-19.