Negative Pressure Prevents Contaminated Air from Escaping Self-contained Isolation Units (SCIUs)

Alternate care sites (ACS) will soon be constructed throughout the country to help with hospital overflow due to COVID-19. Convention centers, arenas, hotels and dormitories are considered suitable facilities for ACS because they have the ability to both house and feed people. Some ACS locations will be a temporary healthcare destination for any non-COVID-19-related health issues, whereas other alternate care sites will be assigned specifically for COVID-19 cases, and some ASC locations will be a combination of the two.

The US Army Corp. of Engineers is working hard with architectural firms to come up with the best solution per location. Much is left to be determined as the pandemic continues to unfold. One thing that is for certain is the need for self-contained isolation units (SCIUs) both in permanent healthcare facilities and in temporary alternate care sites.

SCIUs, use negative pressure as a technique to prevent cross-contamination from room to room. Ventilation, such as a fan, generates negative pressure (pressure lower than the surroundings) to allow air to flow into the isolation room/unit but not escape from the room. Air naturally flows from areas with higher pressure to areas with lower pressure. Using negative pressure prevents contaminated air from escaping the room. This technique is not new and has been used for decades to isolate airborne contagious diseases such as: tuberculosis, measles, chickenpox, influenza, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and now Coronavirus (COVID-19).

You might ask yourself, “if this technique has proven viable and effective why isn’t it being implemented everywhere?” Unfortunately, not everyone is equipped with the resources needed to implement negative pressurization. Luckily, Flow Tech is here to help.

We represent Twin City Fans and Blowers (TCF), a designer and manufacturer of commercial fans and blowers. Together we are committed to remaining open and ready for business by rapidly responding to healthcare customers’ fan orders for COVID-10 projects. Their models DSI, DCV and BCV are used to create a negative pressure in rooms and are commonly combined with a HEPA filter component.

TCF is able to manufacture fans quickly for purposes including:

We are here to offer guidance regarding your COVID-19 ventilation needs. Please call us, 860.291.8886, with questions or to talk through a problem and we’ll provide you with our recommended solutions. For more information, we invite you to view our website and follow us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Nichole Petersen

Nichole joined Flow Tech in 2013 as Director of Marketing. She leads our marketing communication initiatives including content marketing development, coordinating events and training, maintaining our digital presence and recruiting, as well as, some business development and office support. Nichole resides in Vernon with her husband Brian and two sons. She enjoys hosting parties, cooking and lounging on the beach.