ABSTRACT
The importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) to reduce infectious disease transmission has become clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to SARS-CoV-2, other diseases, including RSV and influenza, are spread by airborne transmission, and often indoors-where most people spend over 90% of their lives. Given the importance of indoor environments in the spread of infectious disease, ventilation and filtration to improve IAQ should play a major role in preparing for a global catastrophic biological risk event (GCBR). This study involves performing a review of peer-reviewed literature and reports about improving indoor air quality in public spaces and interviewing technical experts in the fields of indoor air, building ownership, IAQ policy, and disease transmission control. The goal of the study is to identify and develop near and long-term policy actions for improving IAQ aimed to reduce GCBRs and other infectious diseases at various levels, including local and national. © 2022 17th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, INDOOR AIR 2022. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The pandemic self-testing experience has shown some great successes, which are a tribute to the hard work of individuals at all stages in the development, manufacture, regulation, distribution, and uptake processes. However, it has also demonstrated notable challenges, many arising from the lack of a proactive and comprehensive strategy, with the feedback and flexibility needed for adaptive management as the disease, diagnostic tests, and public opinion evolved. This rapid expert consultation summarizes the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic for the future development and usage of self-tests for circulating infectious diseases and future outbreaks and pandemics. It draws from expert input and published research from previous public health emergencies, as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This rapid expert consultation was produced through the Standing Committee for CDC Center for Preparedness and Response (SCPR), an activity of the Health and Medicine Division of National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. SCPR provides a forum for discussion of scientific, technical, and social issues relevant to public health emergency preparedness and response." © 2022 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.