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

Emmanuel, Udomiaye; Osondu, Eze Desy; Kalu, Kalu Cheche

BACKGROUND: Sustainable 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. AIM: The 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. OBJECTIVES: The 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). METHOD: The paper relied on existing literature, interviews, and interactions with healthcare workers. RESULTS/CONCLUSION: The 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.