During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals learned many HVAC retrofit tricks to create negative pressure in patient rooms. These best practices should continue after the pandemic and be applied to the design and engineering of new hospitals, according to an article on FacilitiesNet.com. 

The article describes five potential solutions that HVAC systems should implement going forward. The first step is to continue use of HEPA filters to minimize the chance for viruses spreading through the HVAC system. It’s highly recommended to install HEPA filter racks on air handling units (AHU). 

Speaking of AHU recommendations, the second practice involves engineering air handling units to handle dual conditions for heating and cologne coils: minimum outside air intake for normal conditions and 100 percent outside air for pandemic and emergency conditions. Bringing outside air into hospital is an important step in diluting the air and decreasing the chance for the virus spread. 

To read more about healthcare HVAC best practices, including negative pressure environments and return air recommendations, click here.