Setting Industry Best Practices for Mitigating Viral Transmission

Fitwel Viral Response Module

The Fitwel Viral Response module provides annual, third-party certification of policies and practices to mitigate the spread of contagious diseases within buildings.

The Viral Response module was developed in direct response to industry demand surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. It builds upon and operationalizes the global scientific evidence highlighted in Fitwel’s Research to Action resource series to establish data-driven strategies that mitigate viral transmission, build trust, and create healthy environments for all occupants. While the Viral Response module was initiated during COVID-19, its strategies can minimize the spread of other infectious respiratory diseases, including influenza and legionnaires' disease

Download Viral Response Module Fact Sheet Explore COVID-19 Resources

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Developed in Partnership with Leading Experts

The Virus Response module— developed with input from health experts and industry leaders—sets the industry standard for optimizing buildings in response to the broad health impacts of infectious respiratory diseases in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Industry Advisors & Early Adopter Companies

Academic Advisors

Andrew Dannenberg, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Bon Ku, MD, Director, Health Design Lab, Thomas Jefferson University
Brett C. Singer, Indoor Environment Lead and Sustainable Energy and Environmental Systems Department Head, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
David A. Turcotte, ScD, Research Professor, Director, Principal Investigator, The New England Consortium, UMass Lowell
Ed Nardell, MD, Professor in the Departments of Environmental Health and Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Edith Parker, Dean and Professor of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa
Elizabeth Garland, MD, MS, Professor, Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Jeff Hou, PhD, ASLA, Professor of Landscape Architecture, Adjunct Professor of Architecture and Urban Design & Planning, University of Washington, College of Built Environments
Lidia Morawska, PhD, Director, International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology
Piers MacNaughton, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Rachel Lynn Golden, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology (in Psychiatry), Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Richard Vincent, MS, BS Arch, FIES, LEED AP, Administrative Manager, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Setha Low, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Geography and Psychology and Director of the Public Space Research Group, CUNY Graduate Center
Terry T-K Huang, PhD, MPH, MBA, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management, Director, Center for Systems and Community Design, Co-Director, NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York
Andrew Dannenberg, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Bon Ku, MD, Director, Health Design Lab, Thomas Jefferson University
Brett C. Singer, Indoor Environment Lead and Sustainable Energy and Environmental Systems Department Head, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
David A. Turcotte, ScD, Research Professor, Director, Principal Investigator, The New England Consortium, UMass Lowell
Ed Nardell, MD, Professor in the Departments of Environmental Health and Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Edith Parker, Dean and Professor of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa
Elizabeth Garland, MD, MS, Professor, Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Jeff Hou, PhD, ASLA, Professor of Landscape Architecture, Adjunct Professor of Architecture and Urban Design & Planning, University of Washington, College of Built Environments
Lidia Morawska, PhD, Director, International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology
Piers MacNaughton, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Rachel Lynn Golden, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology (in Psychiatry), Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Richard Vincent, MS, BS Arch, FIES, LEED AP, Administrative Manager, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Setha Low, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Geography and Psychology and Director of the Public Space Research Group, CUNY Graduate Center
Terry T-K Huang, PhD, MPH, MBA, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management, Director, Center for Systems and Community Design, Co-Director, NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York
Andrew Dannenberg, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Bon Ku, MD, Director, Health Design Lab, Thomas Jefferson University
Brett C. Singer, Indoor Environment Lead and Sustainable Energy and Environmental Systems Department Head, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
David A. Turcotte, ScD, Research Professor, Director, Principal Investigator, The New England Consortium, UMass Lowell
Ed Nardell, MD, Professor in the Departments of Environmental Health and Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Edith Parker, Dean and Professor of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa
Elizabeth Garland, MD, MS, Professor, Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Jeff Hou, PhD, ASLA, Professor of Landscape Architecture, Adjunct Professor of Architecture and Urban Design & Planning, University of Washington, College of Built Environments
Lidia Morawska, PhD, Director, International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology
Piers MacNaughton, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Rachel Lynn Golden, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology (in Psychiatry), Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Richard Vincent, MS, BS Arch, FIES, LEED AP, Administrative Manager, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Setha Low, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Geography and Psychology and Director of the Public Space Research Group, CUNY Graduate Center
Terry T-K Huang, PhD, MPH, MBA, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management, Director, Center for Systems and Community Design, Co-Director, NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York
Andrew Dannenberg, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Bon Ku, MD, Director, Health Design Lab, Thomas Jefferson University
Brett C. Singer, Indoor Environment Lead and Sustainable Energy and Environmental Systems Department Head, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
David A. Turcotte, ScD, Research Professor, Director, Principal Investigator, The New England Consortium, UMass Lowell
Ed Nardell, MD, Professor in the Departments of Environmental Health and Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Edith Parker, Dean and Professor of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa
Elizabeth Garland, MD, MS, Professor, Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Jeff Hou, PhD, ASLA, Professor of Landscape Architecture, Adjunct Professor of Architecture and Urban Design & Planning, University of Washington, College of Built Environments
Lidia Morawska, PhD, Director, International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology
Piers MacNaughton, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Rachel Lynn Golden, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology (in Psychiatry), Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Richard Vincent, MS, BS Arch, FIES, LEED AP, Administrative Manager, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Setha Low, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Geography and Psychology and Director of the Public Space Research Group, CUNY Graduate Center
Terry T-K Huang, PhD, MPH, MBA, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management, Director, Center for Systems and Community Design, Co-Director, NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York
Andrew Dannenberg, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Bon Ku, MD, Director, Health Design Lab, Thomas Jefferson University
Brett C. Singer, Indoor Environment Lead and Sustainable Energy and Environmental Systems Department Head, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
David A. Turcotte, ScD, Research Professor, Director, Principal Investigator, The New England Consortium, UMass Lowell
Ed Nardell, MD, Professor in the Departments of Environmental Health and Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Edith Parker, Dean and Professor of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa
Elizabeth Garland, MD, MS, Professor, Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Jeff Hou, PhD, ASLA, Professor of Landscape Architecture, Adjunct Professor of Architecture and Urban Design & Planning, University of Washington, College of Built Environments
Lidia Morawska, PhD, Director, International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology
Piers MacNaughton, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Rachel Lynn Golden, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology (in Psychiatry), Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Richard Vincent, MS, BS Arch, FIES, LEED AP, Administrative Manager, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Setha Low, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Geography and Psychology and Director of the Public Space Research Group, CUNY Graduate Center
Terry T-K Huang, PhD, MPH, MBA, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management, Director, Center for Systems and Community Design, Co-Director, NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York
Andrew Dannenberg, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Bon Ku, MD, Director, Health Design Lab, Thomas Jefferson University
Brett C. Singer, Indoor Environment Lead and Sustainable Energy and Environmental Systems Department Head, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
David A. Turcotte, ScD, Research Professor, Director, Principal Investigator, The New England Consortium, UMass Lowell
Ed Nardell, MD, Professor in the Departments of Environmental Health and Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Edith Parker, Dean and Professor of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa
Elizabeth Garland, MD, MS, Professor, Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Jeff Hou, PhD, ASLA, Professor of Landscape Architecture, Adjunct Professor of Architecture and Urban Design & Planning, University of Washington, College of Built Environments
Lidia Morawska, PhD, Director, International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology
Piers MacNaughton, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Rachel Lynn Golden, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology (in Psychiatry), Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Richard Vincent, MS, BS Arch, FIES, LEED AP, Administrative Manager, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Setha Low, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Geography and Psychology and Director of the Public Space Research Group, CUNY Graduate Center
Terry T-K Huang, PhD, MPH, MBA, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management, Director, Center for Systems and Community Design, Co-Director, NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York
Andrew Dannenberg, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Bon Ku, MD, Director, Health Design Lab, Thomas Jefferson University
Brett C. Singer, Indoor Environment Lead and Sustainable Energy and Environmental Systems Department Head, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
David A. Turcotte, ScD, Research Professor, Director, Principal Investigator, The New England Consortium, UMass Lowell
Ed Nardell, MD, Professor in the Departments of Environmental Health and Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Edith Parker, Dean and Professor of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa
Elizabeth Garland, MD, MS, Professor, Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Jeff Hou, PhD, ASLA, Professor of Landscape Architecture, Adjunct Professor of Architecture and Urban Design & Planning, University of Washington, College of Built Environments
Lidia Morawska, PhD, Director, International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology
Piers MacNaughton, MD, MPH, Affiliate Professor, Departments of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington
Rachel Lynn Golden, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology (in Psychiatry), Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Richard Vincent, MS, BS Arch, FIES, LEED AP, Administrative Manager, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Setha Low, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, Geography and Psychology and Director of the Public Space Research Group, CUNY Graduate Center
Terry T-K Huang, PhD, MPH, MBA, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Policy and Management, Director, Center for Systems and Community Design, Co-Director, NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York

Fitwel’s Academic Advisors reflect a diverse array of health expertise and represent world-renowned institutions.

A New Entry Point to Fitwel Certification

The Fitwel Viral Response module introduces a unique company-wide approach to certification. Distinctive features include.

Turnkey policy templates. The Viral Response module provides detailed implementation guidance and policy templates, allowing companies to readily adopt policies that meet Fitwel’s best practice standards.
Implementation rigor. The Viral Response module establishes minimum requirements based on scientific evidence, reflecting the need for baseline strategies and a multi-faceted approach in order to effectively mitigate the spread of infectious respiratory diseases.
Scalable and cost-effective. Once Viral Response Certification is achieved at the company level, Fitwel users can apply the module at scale using an efficient and cost-effective pathway to asset-level approval.

Broad Applicability

The Viral Response module is designed to allow companies to mitigate the spread of contagious diseases, whether for a single building or an entire portfolio of assets. This module has broad applicability and can be used across commercial and residential asset typologies, including:

Download Viral Response Module Fact Sheet

USING THE VIRAL RESPONSE MODULE

The Viral Response module establishes a unique, multi-step process to help companies adopt rigorous viral mitigation policies and practices aligned with the best available evidence to date and apply them at scale. It also serves as a natural entry point for advancing full project certification using a Fitwel Building Scorecard.

Step 1 Viral Response Certification (Entity-wide policies and practices)	Overview Viral Response Certification applies to a user-defined “entity,” which encompasses any collection of assets that have consistent policies and practices—from a single building, to a regional portfolio, to an entire company. A company may choose to achieve separate certifications for multiple entities if internal policies and practices differ by geography, asset type, or another factor. Cost One-time Registration Fee: $500 Annual Certification Fee: $3,500 (Introductory pricing through November 1, 2020 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time) $4,500 (after November 1) Timeline As little as 6 weeks from submission
Step 2 Viral Response Approval (Asset-level)	Overview Once Viral Response Certification is achieved, companies can demonstrate application across specific assets. In order to receive Viral Response Approval, an asset must fully align with all specified policies and practices achieved in the relevant entity’s Viral Response Certification. Cost $200 per asset Users pre-paying for 10+ assets are eligible for a 10% discount. Introductory discount: The per-asset approval fee is waived for any asset that has paid certification fees for a Fitwel Building Scorecard Certification prior to December 15, 2020 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Timeline 2 weeks from asset submission
Step 3 Fitwel Building Certification (Asset-level)	Overview Assets receiving Viral Response Approval will be primed for implementing a Building Scorecard to achieve Fitwel Certification. The Fitwel Portal will seamlessly align and pre-populate Viral Response documentation within the selected Building Scorecard, creating a streamlined and efficient process for assets looking to achieve dual certifications. Cost Building Certification fees are dependent on project size. Visit fitwel.org/certification for details. Introductory discount: Viral Response Approved assets are eligible to receive a $200 discount off a future Fitwel Building Certification. Building certification fees must be paid by December 15, 2020 at 11:59 PM Pacifc Time. Timeline 12-16 weeks from submission
	Note: All prices are in US Dollars. Viral Response certification is valid for 12 months. Champion or Affiliate discounts do not apply.

Module Strategies and Levels of Recognition

Viral Response Strategies

The Fitwel Viral Response module covers three key topic areas for mitigating viral transmission: Enhance Indoor Environments, Encourage Behavioral Change, and Build Occupant Trust.

Module strategies include minimum requirements that are necessary to achieve an effective viral response and based on scientific evidence that reflects the need for multi-faceted approaches as well as implementation rigor in order to effectively mitigate contagious disease spread. In addition to minimum requirements, the module introduces dependent strategies, which can expand the health impacts of an achieved parent strategy.

Download The Viral Response Worksheet

Viral Response Recognition

The Fitwel Viral Response module strategies are weighted according to their strength of evidence and level of health impact, using a 100% scale. A “with Distinction” suffix is awarded to entities and assets that demonstrate the highest levels of compliance with the module.

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Timeline

Module Certification Timeline

The Viral Response Certification process at the entity level will take six weeks from time of submission. The process follows Fitwel’s double-blind review process and includes three phases. Once Viral Response Certification is obtained, companies may choose to submit specific assets for Viral Response Approval, which uses a single review phase to confirm implementation and will take 2 weeks from the time of submission.

2020 Certification Deadline: Submit projects on the Fitwel Portal by November 12 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time in order to achieve Fitwel Viral Response certification in 2020.

Viral Reponse Certification (Entity-wide policies and practices)			Viral Response Approval (Asset Level)
Phase 1: Fitwel completes an initial review	Phase 2: User responds to Fitwel's initial review	Phase 3: Fitwel completes a final review and certification	Phase 4: Fitwel completes a single review and approval
2 WEEKS	2 WEEKS	2 WEEKS	2 WEEKS