The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has created a task force that will define the role buildings, organisations and communities can play in tackling COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

The Task Force on Coronavirus will focus on how the places in which we spend our lives can support respiratory wellbeing and be prepared for related health events like the current coronavirus spread.

It will draw on insights from experts across public health, medicine, design, real estate, government and academia to inform new guidelines for preventing, preparing for, resiliency against and recovery from threats to respiratory health and will inform enhancements to the WELL Building Standard itself – version two of which is currently being piloted.

"IWBI’s work centres on providing evidence-backed solutions that advance better health and wellbeing in the places and spaces where we spend our lives," said IWBI chairman and CEO Rick Fedrizzi.

"The creation of this task force provides a mechanism to focus on this immediate challenge and collect and apply the expertise and insight of our global community, which includes practising physicians, environmental and behavioural scientists, leading design practitioners and innovation leaders from global corporations."

Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey, former president and CEO of US public health philanthropy organisation the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and professor of population health and health equity, added: "This task force can help us focus quickly on actionable measures we can take to more fully deliver resources needed to advance a global culture of health that includes everyone."

Experts in air quality, hygiene and other relevant topics who may be able to contribute to the work of the Task Force on Coronavirus should contact the IWBI at: [email protected]