by Brianna Crandall — 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, 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.
Jonathan Flannery, MHSA, FASHE, FACHE, senior associate director of advocacy for ASHE, remarked:
With the numerous recommendations being offered by a variety of experts, several ASHE members requested a summary of the ventilation recommendations, which prompted the task force to develop this document. Bringing all of these recommendations together into a single document provides a “one-stop shop” for health care facility managers.
The COVID-19 Ventilation Guidance Efforts document is available to the public and can be accessed through the ASHE website. For additional assistance or information, contact ashe@aha.org.
