A Study on the Spatial Size Requirement for Emergency Modular Negative Pressure Isolation Room (NPIR) after COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Infectious diseases such as COVID-19 has caused a critical shortage in a number of negative pressure isolation rooms in responding to treat confirmed patients around the world. After the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome(MERS) crisis in 2015, the Korean government revised the law on the prevention and management of infectious diseases by assigning state-designated infectious disease hospitals or by adjusting the interval of emergency room bed usage, but it was insufficient in responding to the rapid increase in number of cases within a short period of time. As a result, it is necessary to provide a quick and efficient solution in increasing a number of usable negative pressure wards that can be utilized by the existing hospital facilities. Modular units could be a solution due to its flexibility and quick manufacturing time. Therefore, the goal of this study is to develop spatial size requirement for modular negative pressure isolation units to cope with national disasters and emergencies such as epidemics. © 2022 Architectural Institute of Korea.