Coronavirus (COVID-19) Adaptations Expert Advisory Group

Overview

The COVID-19 Adaptations Expert Advisory Group was established in response to the COVID-19: Ventilation Short-Life Working Group’s recommendations. In broad terms, the role of the group will be to consider and make recommendations on interventions and innovations that will build resilience to COVID-19 and other infections in the built environment in non-clinical settings.

This will involve considering the best means of optimising and embedding the protective measures we have become familiar with over the past two years and considering further adaptations that can be made to our buildings, homes and the built environment/spaces around them. This benefits social and individual wellbeing, wider public health and Scotland’s economy.

The remit of the group is:

• to advise on how best to optimise and embed existing COVID-19 interventions and societal behaviours to improve Scotland’s resilience to COVID-19, recognising that these may also improve resilience to other infections and bring about wider societal benefits
• to identify innovations to our built environment (in non-clinical settings) to improve Scotland’s resilience to COVID-19 and consider how they might be implemented
• to consider interventions to maximise and enable the use of immediate spaces surrounding buildings and homes, as an approach to reduce COVID-19 risks
• to consider the equity and prioritisation of interventions, in light of what we know about transmission risk factors, such as enduring transmission and disproportionate COVID-19 impacts on certain groups
• to advise on emerging evidence and best practice, including from SAGE, PHS, UKHSA, WHO and relevant international sources to inform our approach
• to provide advice and expertise on the connections and impacts of any innovations or interventions considered by the group on other related policy initiatives, such as zero carbon and climate change

Members

• Professor Tim Sharpe (Chair), University of Strathclyde

• Neil Granger, Scottish Property Federation

• Professor Cath Noakes, University of Leeds

• Chris Iddon, The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers

• Professor Vittal Katikireddi, University of Glasgow

• Victoria Sanderson, HSE (Health and Safety Executive)

• Stephen Long, Scottish Futures Trust

• Dr Carole McRae, Public Health Scotland

• Patrick Mackie, Local Authority Environmental Health

• Fiona Richardson, COSLA

• Professor Steve Reicher, St Andrew’s University

• Dr Alice Street, University of Edinburgh

• Professor Diane Dixon, University of Aberdeen

• Professor Gill Hubbard, University of the Highlands and Islands

• Tamsie Thomson, Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland representative

• Christoph Ackermann, BDP

• Alan Johnston, BE-ST

Publications

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Adaptations Expert Advisory Group: terms of reference