Li Y, Duan S, Yu I T S, Wong T W
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Indoor Air. 2005 Apr;15(2):96-111. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0668.2004.00318.x.
More than 300 residents of a private high-rise housing estate were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome within a short period during the 2003 epidemic in Hong Kong. The outbreak occurred after the identified index patient visited a flat on a middle floor in Block E of the Amoy Gardens estate on two nights. Approximately 45% of the subsequently infected people resided in Block E, while the other 55% of infected cases mainly resided in six other blocks close to Block E. The distribution of the infected flats in Block E conformed to a non-uniform spatial pattern. Probable environmental causes for airborne transmission associated with the air movements between flats in Block E are identified. The well-established multi-zone airflow modeling method was used to analyze the virus-laden bio-aerosol dispersion between flats through door and window leakage areas in Block E under six different scenarios. The distribution of infection risk in Block E matched with the virus concentrations in flats predicted with the use of multi-zone modeling. Our study shows the importance of ventilation design in high-rise residential apartments.
The present study on the Amoy Gardens outbreak presented a scenario in which crowded living spaces might lead to infection disasters. There is a need to improve the current sanitary drainage design and maintenance standards to avoid any leakage of foul gas into the indoor environments. Our study revealed the need for a review of indoor air quality and ventilation design in buildings including offices, homes and hotels. The study has implications to public health in, for example, the control of other airborne respiratory infectious diseases such as influenza, and in bio-terror safety in buildings.
在2003年香港疫情期间，一个私人高层住宅区的300多名居民在短时间内感染了严重急性呼吸系统综合症。此次疫情爆发是在已确定的首例患者在两晚内到访淘大花园E座中层的一套公寓之后发生的。随后约45%的感染者居住在E座，而其他55%的感染病例主要居住在靠近E座的其他六个街区。E座受感染单位的分布符合非均匀空间模式。确定了与E座各单位之间空气流动相关的空气传播的可能环境原因。采用成熟的多区域气流建模方法，分析了在六种不同情景下，通过E座各单位门窗渗漏区域，含病毒生物气溶胶在各单位之间的扩散情况。E座感染风险分布与使用多区域建模预测的各单位病毒浓度相匹配。我们的研究表明了高层住宅通风设计的重要性。
目前对淘大花园疫情的研究呈现了一种拥挤的居住空间可能导致感染灾难的情景。有必要改进当前的卫生排水设计和维护标准，以避免任何恶臭气体泄漏到室内环境中。我们的研究表明需要对包括办公室、家庭和酒店在内的建筑物的室内空气质量和通风设计进行审查。该研究对公共卫生有影响，例如在控制其他空气传播的呼吸道传染病如流感方面，以及在建筑物的生物恐怖安全方面。
