April 7, 2021 — The American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Naval Medicine Readiness and Training Command have created a new document that provides a current literature review of recommended practices from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force, along with ASHE resources on HVAC controls for healthcare facilities treating Covid-19 patients.
The resource seeks to fill a knowledge gap in the field as there are no defined and definitive recommendations for environmental controls when handling Covid-19 patients in healthcare facilities, explains ASHE. Additionally, the guidelines address design and implementation of controls to limit potential exposure to staff and others through heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.