In recent weeks, there has been a lot of news about the Coronavirus (COVID-19). It is on the front pages of all the newspapers and the media talks about nothing else. What exactly is it?
Coronaviruses are a family of common viruses whose name comes from the crown-like projections that form on their surfaces. They can cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe respiratory syndromes such as MERS (Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome) and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).
Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
There have already been many victims: 2,626 deaths have been reported worldwide (more than 2,500 in China), 79,524 people have been infected (of which 77,150 in China), and 25,160 people who were diagnosed have gone on to fully recover. The numbers are from the monitoring site of the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University. In Italy, there are 219 confirmed cases. In detail, 167 in Lombardy, 27 in Veneto, 18 in Emilia Romagna, 4 in Piedmont and 3 in Lazio. Five people have died and one has fully recovered. (Data updated to 25/02/2020)
Air quality requirements are crucial both in terms of hygiene and prevention and control of airborne infections
Preventive measures must be scrupulously adhered to, especially in environments such as healthcare facilities and hospitals. The air quality requirements are crucial both in terms of hygiene and prevention and control of airborne infections.
Indoor air quality (IAQ)
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a very significant chapter in the study of environmental conditions in the healthcare industry. Organisms present in the air, which are common in a healthcare environment, can be a serious threat to patients who, for example, are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed. A patient suffering from a respiratory tract infection can spread many microbes in the air that are dangerous to other patients, healthcare professionals, relatives and friends.
It’s easy to understand what steps can be taken to monitor and maintain, and consequently to ensure a safe indoor air quality that it is appropriate for a healthcare and nursing environment and well adapted to its different settings, that is comfortable but also able to contribute to preventing nosocomial infections.
Systematic monitor of HVAC systems
Managers of healthcare facilities, in close contact with doctors and nurses working in different hospital contexts or other healthcare facilities, the entrepreneurs involved and maintenance staff should operation in four areas in order to build good practices:
- Organize administrative controls, represented by lines of conduct and shared and formalized procedures aimed at identifying and controlling the risk;
- Understand the function of the healthcare facility taken into consideration in order to design and plan according to its specific requirements. For example, hospitals must ensure contaminant control in their facilities to protect patients, however, not all patients are equal, nor are all hospital facilities. Facilities that host immunocompromised and/or immunosuppressed patients, those that host patients with severe infections, which can be spread through the air (severe community-acquired pneumonia, nosocomial tuberculosis, etc.), and facilities that host critical patients (Department of Emergency, Intensive and Sub-intensive Therapies, Operating theatres and delivery rooms);
- Systematically monitor and document on media support the air quality and performance of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system in order to guide the operations and maintenance of the system on a specific dashboard;
- Develop special or emergency plans to guide the response, when planning to construct new facilities or renovate existing space, or during a real emergency such as leaks, spills, floods.
Basic Standards For Healthcare Organizations
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has clearly defined and highlighted some basic standards to be met in healthcare organizations.
These basic standards include:
- Hospitals must responsibly assess and control risks, including those related to HVAC and other service systems and plants
- Hospitals must responsibly and regularly inspect, test, maintain these systems with specific multidisciplinary and multi-professional teams, and must make public the data emerging from these risk control activities.
- Hospitals must design, install and define the maintenance of all systems and clearly define who, when and how the maintenance and detection of chemical and biological contaminants must be controlled and documented.
- Hospitals are required to carefully assess the risks associated with the operation of the systems in the hospital setting, for example, with regard to air or water quality and control of nosocomial infections.
- Hospitals are also required to maintain air quality in all hospital support facilities and not only in healthcare and assistance settings.
Efficient filtration solutions
For this reason, General Filter Group takes care of any type of filtration need in the various hospital wards and operating rooms, in compliance with the national and international standards.
They offer solutions to meet the specific needs of the various hospital wards and departments and private clinics that rely on the companies 50 years of experience in the sector.
