Introduction to virus, bacteria, and fungi in the built environment

Abstract

A healthy built environment is an issue of crucial importance, especially in the context of the dramatic Covid-19 outbreak. Also, according to The Serum Institute, the world largest vaccine manufacturer, there will not be enough doses to inoculate the entire world until 2024. That fact is independent discovery of the alarming consequences of the post-Covid syndrome (“long Covid”). As it is briefly discussed in this chapter, the necessary interactions between the many researchers of the different areas of the world whose work has connections to the built environment-namely, civil engineers, architects, microbiologists, and epidemiologists-are rare, thus hampering the efforts needed to tackle the pandemics. The objective of this multiauthored text to is provide the necessary background to learn about virus, bacteria, and fungi in the built environment and methods to eradicate or reduce their numbers.