Environmental education and healthy housing as strategies for the prevention of COVID-19 at the household level.

Abstract

Context: The COVID-19 is the most recent global health concern that affects human health mainly the respiratory system with more than 170 million people affected by the virus worldwide. Also, Latin America has been emerging as an epicenter of contagion, and transmission is gradually increasing among the communities in each of the countries analyzed. The infection of more than 30 million people in Latin America supposes the construction of new models and habits of public health that promote attitudes to reduce the number of cases and mortality. Method: A proposal was defined based on three frameworks and models—the principle of healthy housing promoted by the Panamerican Health Organization, the four types of knowledge transfer without memorization proposed by the OECD, and the theory of social constructivism (in which knowledge is built from a present reality). This proposal is aims to help a community to understand the health risks present at home so that they can prevent the spread of the virus COVID-19 through the use of good practices. Results: The proposal shows categorized risk factors at home that increase the possibility of contagion of COVID- 19 and getting infected; also, it presents possible solutions to these factores, which focus on good practices of healthy housing to improve habitability and prevent diseases that also allow the virus to spread. Conclusions: It is necessary to implement strategies that humanize public health problems and that in turn include the knowledge that the field of engineering can contribute to solve these problems. In addition, these strategies must emerge from practical work focused on the community. An example of this is the proposal for good practices for healthy housing to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.