COVID-19: Water Hygiene, Air-Conditioning, and Water Treatment in The Days of COVID-19: Problems on Top of Problems

The current COVID-19 pandemic has revealed there is a need for all areas of public health to work together in a coordinated manner in order for infection prevention and control to be more effective. After a two-month containment phase, Spain is beginning ease the lockdown. In this new scenario, the environmental health services of the Spanish Autonomous Communities face challenges which are different and complementary to those of the previous phase and which must be taken into account. Thus, the reopening of establishments and industries whose water systems have been stagnant for so long can increase microbiological and even chemical risks. Likewise, the resumption of recreational activities that revolve around water-both in public swimming pools and on beaches-requires health recommendations for safe use in this new stage. The same applies to the widespread start of collective HVAC systems or of sanitation facilities, which could in theory facilitate the transmission of SARS- CoV-2 through potential new pathways. The purpose of this paper is to analyze these potential risks from an environmental health perspective in order to better prevent or minimize them, all within the context of the current lockdown-lifting phase and in view of the new scientific knowledge that is currently being generated.