Abstract

Background:

Since the dawn of cities, the built environment has both affected infectious disease transmission and evolved in response to infectious diseases. COVID-19 illustrates both dynamics. The pandemic presented an opportunity to implement health promotion and disease prevention strategies in numerous elements of the built environment.

Objectives:

This commentary aims to identify features of the built environment that affect the risk of COVID-19 as well as to identify elements of the pandemic response with implications for the built environment (and, therefore, for long-term public health).

Discussion:

Built environment risk factors for COVID-19 transmission include crowding, poverty, and racism (as they manifest in housing and neighborhood features), poor indoor air circulation, and ambient air pollution. Potential long-term implications of COVID-19 for the built environment include changes in building design, increased teleworking, reconfigured streets, changing modes of travel, provision of parks and greenspace, and population shifts out of urban centers. Although it is too early to predict with confidence which of these responses may persist, identifying and monitoring them can help health professionals, architects, urban planners, and decision makers, as well as members of the public, optimize healthy built environments during and after recovery from the pandemic. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8888

中文翻译：

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COVID-19、建筑环境和健康

摘要

背景：

自城市诞生以来，建筑环境既影响传染病的传播，又随着传染病的发展而演变。COVID-19 说明了这两种动态。这次流行病为在建筑环境的许多方面实施健康促进和疾病预防战略提供了机会。

目标：

本评论旨在确定影响 COVID-19 风险的建筑环境特征，以及确定对建筑环境（进而影响长期公共卫生）的大流行应对措施的要素。

讨论：

COVID-19 传播的建筑环境风险因素包括拥挤、贫困和种族主义（如住房和社区特征中所体现的那样）、室内空气流通不良和环境空气污染。COVID-19 对建筑环境的潜在长期影响包括建筑设计的变化、远程办公的增加、街道的重新配置、出行方式的改变、公园和绿地的提供以及人口从城市中心转移。尽管现在自信地预测哪些反应可能持续存在还为时过早，但识别和监测它们可以帮助卫生专业人员、建筑师、城市规划者、决策者以及公众在恢复期间和恢复后优化健康的建筑环境来自大流行。https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8888