As we return to public spaces, rethinking the design of public bathrooms and workplaces may help stop the spread of disease, according to an article on the ABC Radio Perth website.
Hand washing can be useless if people have to touch unclean surfaces and open-plan offices may be changed because of physical distancing requirements.
Peter Collignon, a professor of infectious diseases at the Australian National University medical school, believes designing public toilets to minimize the spread of bugs should be mandatory. "I think infection control and prevention needs to be regarded as important as fire prevention or anything else.”
"There are a lot of things that could be put into design and structure that make it easier for people to comply with what they should be doing," he said.