Architectural design strategies for infection prevention and control (IPC) in health-care facilities: towards curbing the spread of Covid-19.

Abstract

BackgroundSustainable design strategies are targeted at finding architectural solutions that reassure the well-being and coexistence of inorganic features, living organisms, and humans that make up the ecosystem. The emergence of the novel coronavirus, an increase in microbial resistance, and lack of a vaccine for the present pandemic have made it imperative to appraise the preventive strategies employed during the pre-antibiotic period. Sustainable architecture for children's hospital design and childcare facilities, apart from low energy and carbon emission, must integrate design strategies to confront the impact of infectious diseases.AimThe aim of the paper is to identify how the space patients and health-care workers0 occupy can be made safer from an architectural design perspective with the view of developing guidelines for policymakers and highlighting the architect’s role in combating the pandemic.ObjectivesThe objectives include; to examine the evolution of medical architecture and the nexus between infectious diseases and architectural space and suggest a design approach that enhances infection prevention and control (IPC).MethodThe paper relied on existing literature, interviews, and interactions with healthcare workers.Results/ConclusionThe findings showed that design strategies have always played a significant role in infection prevention and control (IPC) and could as well be a panacea for curbing the spread of Covid -19.