SPECIAL ARTICLE   

Otorinolaringologia 2020 December;70(4):156-8

DOI: 10.23736/S0392-6621.20.02303-6

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Coronavirus disease 2019: a lesson from history

Federica DI BERARDINO ^{1, 2} ✉, Oreste V. BRENNA ³, Diego ZANETTI ^{1, 2}

¹ Unit of Audiology, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; ² Department of Specialistic Surgical Sciences, Maggiore Polyclinic Hospital, IRCCS Ca’ Granda Foundation, Milan, Italy; ³ Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

Viral infections have become an increasingly worsening threat, SARS-Cov-2 is the third coronavirus that emerged during the past twenty years. The contagion can also occur by inhalation of aerosolized viruses, capable of floating in the air for long times (in closed spaces) and traveling unknown distances. A lesson from history shows that exclusive infectious disease hospitals with multiple building are still a modern architectural choice. Individual spaces are needed and this is an important way to reduce the viral load. Nowadays, the restrictions should involve not only the interpersonal relationships but also environmental measures.

KEY WORDS: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Coronavirus; COVID-19, Transmission