Coronavirus: Protection against epidemic thanks to biosafety

Christian Lorenz, Managing Director LC

The civil engineering firm Lorenz Consult from Graz is strongly involved in the healthcare sector – in laboratory planning or the implementation of large laboratory and hospital projects. With the appropriate expertise, one can properly address threatening diseases such as the coronavirus from an engineering perspective. The necessary protection of the personnel involved and the environment is increasingly coming into focus.

For weeks, reports about the highly contagious and life-threatening infectious disease have put the population on high alert. It can affect anyone – including hospital directors, doctors, nursing staff, and young people, who have already died from the consequences of the coronavirus. The precautions in Austria are extensive. DI Christian Lorenz from the civil engineering firm Lorenz Consult has been dealing with biosafety, laboratory, and hospital planning for years. He knows what is important from a structural point of view: “The infrastructure of equipment and buildings in Austria must be expanded and comprehensive for cases like Corona. The continuous practice of entry procedures and the provision of the necessary resources and time are also essential topics.”

An important trio: organization, personnel, and technology

Biosafety is the buzzword of the hour. Here, three competencies overlap: organization, personnel, and technology. The personal commitment of the individuals involved ensures the first two competencies, while technology ensures continuity. DI Christian Lorenz is convinced: “In a disaster, quarantine stations can be established just as quickly in Austria as in China. The quality, knowledge, and will are present.” It makes sense to separate infected patients from normal hospital operations. By creating a slight negative pressure in the special stations, the escape of viruses can be prevented. The exhaust air is filtered with appropriate technology.

Protection begins with planning

The special feature is to design the danger area – the so-called containment – in such a way that the people working there are protected and the entry of dangerous viruses from outside is prevented. This also includes the possibility of decontamination and the maintainability of the main components of the systems. During planning, it is already necessary to consider how ventilation systems should be designed, what happens to wastewater, how cleaning is carried out, and in an emergency, how decontamination is performed.

Everything safe in the laboratory area

In the laboratory sector, good experience in biosafety can be relied upon. Here, the danger posed by researched bioactive substances can be planned and implemented. The challenges are much higher in everyday hospital operations: “In a hospital, you first need to identify the danger to be able to respond,” says DI Christian Lorenz. Appropriate organizations, training, and technical solutions are required.