Study the Impact of Engineering Ventilation on Indoor Air Quality in Hospitals during COVID-19

Abstract

This study investigates the importance of using engineering ventilation in healthcare settings, especially during widespread disease outbreaks such as COVID-19. Ventilation can be used to improve indoor air quality in care homes, hospitals, and quarantine locations. In the research, two scenarios of engineering ventilation are simulated using a Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS), with sulfur hexafluoride employed as the contaminant emitted by the patient in the hospital room. The volume of the room selected for the present study is 60 m3, and the ventilation mode is designed according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), with 12 air changes per hour and negative pressure. The mean concentration of the pollutants is estimated for both scenarios, giving concentrations in the range of 920 ± 397 to 1260±580 ppm. The estimated indoor air quality (IAQ) values varied from 2.06 to 2.90. According to the obtained results, ventilation plays a critical role in eliminating pollutants, indicating that suitably engineered ventilation strategies can reduce the impact of COVID-19 spread in closed buildings.