[Measuring Ventilation and Contamination in Long-term Care Hospitals to Study Improvements]

The importance of ventilation and the need for regular ventilation in enclosed, crowded, and close-contact settings have been emphasized as countermeasures against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Particularly, long-term care hospitals and facilities are particularly vulnerable spots, often requiring simultaneous internal isolation and treatment, which necessitates the implementation of stringent infection control measures. In this study, we measured ventilation status using certain indicators (air change per hour, carbon dioxide [CO₂] concentration, and difference pressure) to assess ventilation conditions based on the operation of ventilation systems in target long-term care hospitals. In general, facilities with ventilation meet this standard; however, some ventilation systems operate improperly, resulting in inadequate ventilation or frequent breakdowns. To prevent and block the transmission of indoor respiratory viruses in the future, it is essential to periodically check whether the ventilation equipment is installed and operating properly in healthcare facilities. For heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, it is important to ensure that the outside air intake rate is above the appropriate level and to periodically perform outside air-conditioning ventilation. This is expected to contribute to the creation of a safe indoor environment by operating a ventilation system according to the facility environmental demand through regular ventilation performance measurements.