Way back during the first wave of COVID-19 (April 2020), we got our swabs out and sampled surfaces and air across a range of settings in the hospital. This cross-sectional study identified SARS-CoV-2 RNA on a rather startling 52% of surfaces and 45% of air samples collected from across the hospital and some public areas. During the second wave (January 2021), we undertook a similar exercise, and identified a vastly different level of contamination with SARS-CoV-2 RNA: 5% of surfaces and 4% of air samples. What had changed between April 2020 and January 2021 to explain this difference? A whole host of things, and we don’t know for sure – but I suspect that improved testing availability and the introduction of masks for staff and patients were the most important factors.
Continue readingventilation
Stand-alone air decontamination units: some questions…
I’ve been involved recently in a comparative evaluation of several stand-alone air decontamination units. Please feel free to take a look at our (very!) preliminary findings here. I also attended the HIS Spring Meeting today, which was all about ventilation in healthcare settings. Whilst I found the day interesting and thought provoking, I’ve left with more questions than I had before!
Continue readingThe role of ventilation in preventing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2
I gave a talk at the Sussex Infection Prevention Development Week yesterday on ventilation and preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2. I learnt a lot in putting together the talk, so thought I’d share my slides (here) and some of the key points. Ventilation is a crucial way to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (and other respiratory viruses), and I hope that improved ventilation in health and social care settings will be one of the good things to come out of this pandemic.
Continue reading12 months of COVID – what have we learned? Part 1 (ventilation and the environment)
I was part of the panel for the latest HIS webinar earlier this week. And here it is:
Managing ventilation in the context of COVID-19: a HIS audience-led webinar
The next in the series of the HIS audience-led webinar on all-things ventilation in the management of COVID-19 went out recently. The panel consisted of:
- Peter Hoffman – Consultant Clinical Scientist, London
- Dr Chris Lynch – Graham Ayliffe Training Fellow, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals
- Professor Catherine Noakes – Professor of Environmental Engineering for Buildings, University of Leeds
- Karren Staniforth – Clinical Scientist, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Dr James Price (chair) – Consultant in Infection Prevention & Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
The webinar video is below:
Reflections on Infection Prevention and Control 