COVID pandemic: its impact on human health, environment, and potential strategies for sustanibility

Abstract

Despite the advised measures, worries concerning the pathways of transmission for this pandemic disease have been raised because to the fast increase of COVID-19 symptoms and fatalities over the world. Inhaling tiny airborne droplets, in addition to the more generally documented transmission routes of larger respiratory droplets and direct contact with sick persons or contaminated surfaces, is a likely third route of infection. While there are still some questions about the proportional contributions of the various transmission channels, we believe the data is robust enough to justify developing interventions that target airborne transmission as part of a larger effort to reduce infection risk inside. Sufficient and adequate ventilation, potentially augmented by particle filtering and air disinfection, avoidance of air recirculation, and avoidance of overcrowding are all examples of appropriate building engineering controls. Such procedures are often simple to adopt and low in cost, but only if they are recognized as important in achieving infection control objectives. We believe that, in addition to effective application of other controls (such as isolation and quarantine, social distancing, and hand hygiene), the use of engineering controls in public buildings, such as hospitals, shops, offices, schools, kindergartens, libraries, restaurants, cruise ships, elevators, conference rooms, or public transportation, would be an additional important measure globally.