Environmental Health and COVID-19 Resource Library

ARCHIVED LIBRARY: NACCHO is no longer updating this webpage. This library has been made available for reference. For the latest information, please refer to CDC.gov or the original source referenced in the library.

Page last updated on March 31, 2022.


Public health officials must work with local community partners and school administrators to ensure safe conditions in educational and child care settings.


      During extreme weather events, health officials must protect communities from immediate health threats while maintaining efforts prevent the spread of COVID-19.

        • Wildfire Smoke and COVID-19. Source: CDC. Guidance and resources to prepare and protect yourself from wildfires during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional guidance on wildfire/COVID-19 symptoms, groups at risk, and clean air space.


        In addition to health departments, consumers of food, handlers of food, as well as servers of food need to be informed of safety precautions and considerations amid COVID-19. These resources provide information and guidance around food safety in the context of the pandemic.


          Considerations and information pertaining to limiting the spread of COVID-19 in indoor settings can be found here.

          • Improving Indoor Air. Source: Seattle & King County Public Health. Three ways to improve indoor air in our homes, businesses, schools, and other places where people gather indoors. Flyers are available in multiple languages and there are additional resources on improving indoor air quality.
          • Indoor Air and Coronavirus (COVID-19). Source: EPA. Resources, best practices, and latest information on airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
          • Interactive Ventilation Tool. Source: CDC. Use this interactive tool to see how levels of COVID-19 virus particles change as you adjust ventilation settings in your home.
          • Recommendations for Reducing Airborne Infectious Aerosol Exposure. Source: ASHRAE. Recommendations based on the concept that within limits, ventilation, filtration, and air cleaners can reduce exposure subject to constraints that include comfort, energy use, and costs.
          • Ventilation in Buildings. Source: CDC. Ventilation is a recommended strategy to reduce exposure to SARS-CoV-2. This webpage contains considerations to improve ventilation, and answered to frequently asked questions.
          • Clean Away COVID. Source: Clean Away COVID. This public service campaign provides information and resources to keep homes and environments safe during the pandemic. Various resources are available at no cost to WIC, state and local health agencies, and other community-based organizations.
          • Cleaning and Safer Disinfecting Comic Strips for Families. Source: Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units. Comic strips to help safely reduce the spread of COVID-19. Available in Spanish, Chinese (simplified), Amharic, Vietnamese, Somali, Russian, Korean, and Portuguese (Brazilian).
          • Evaluating SARS-CoV-2 Cleanup and Disinfection Practices. Source: EPA. Reducing the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 relies on effective cleaning and disinfection, along with continued social distancing practices. EPA researchers are working on determining the best environmental sample collection methods and the limits of detection for SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces and objects.
          • FDA Updates on Hand Sanitizers Consumers Should Not Use. Source: FDA. The do-not-use-list contains regularly updated information on hand sanitizers that have been tested for lack of active ingredients, contamination, false claims, and safety concerns.
          • List N: Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19). Source: EPA. Products expected to kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. Products intended for use on surfaces, not humans.
          • Safer Disinfectant Use. Source: American College of Medical Toxicology. Webinar series and online resources designed to provide information to healthcare providers about the safe and proper use of disinfectants to help decrease transmission of COVID-19.
          • Safer Disinfectant Use During The COVID-19 Pandemic. Source: Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units. Information on cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, in accordance with CDC guidelines, while minimizing the chance of disinfectant health effects.
          • Households Living in Close Quarters. Source: CDC. Guidance is intended for people living together in close quarters, such as people who share a small apartment, or for people who live in the same household with large or extended families.
          • Living in Shared Housing. Source: CDC. Considerations for reducing risk of COVID-19 in shared or congregate housing (i.e., apartment buildings, dormitories, shelters).


          Wastewater surveillance provides community with information on the extent of COVID-19 infections in communities. “Wastewater”, also referred to as “sewage,” includes water from household/building use (i.e., toilets, showers, sinks) that can contain human fecal waste, as well as water from non-household sources (e.g., rainwater and industrial use).

            • Detecting and Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater. Source: EPA. Researchers at EPA and the CDC are developing and applying methods for measuring SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater. Once developed, the methods will be used to determine infectivity, persistence, and treatment efficacies related to SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater.
            • Monitoring Wastewater to Inform COVID-19 Public Health Response. Source: Healthy Davis Together. Guidance and sample communications to support the implementation of wastewater monitoring and prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
            • National Wastewater Surveillance System. Source: CDC. Information on this new public health tool to help understand COVID-19 spread in a community.
            • SARS-CoV-2 RNA Levels in Wastewater in the United States. Source: CDC. Maps, charts, and data representing all wastewater data submitted by health departments to CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System's DCIPHER platform in efforts to identify, prevent, and control the spread of COVID-19.
            • Wastewater Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2. Source: NACCHO. An infographic describing the workings of wastewater surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 (the causative agent of COVID-19), how this process can help local health departments stay ahead of the pandemic, and how to get involved with implementing this system.
            • Ohio Coronavirus Wastewater Monitoring Network. Source: Ohio Department of Health. Wastewater monitoring network toolkit for local health districts and local governments with templates for press releases, social media posts, and more.
            • Wastewater Dashboard. Source: City of Tempe. In an effort to prevent and reduce the spread of COVID-19, the City of Tempe and Arizona State University have worked on creating a dashboard that displays emerging research about the “COVID-19 gene copies per liter” measured within collection areas throughout the city.
            • Wastewater Monitoring. Source: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. To better understand the impacts of COVID-19 at the community level, NCDHHS is testing samples of wastewater from select wastewater treatment plants across the state to look for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-1


            The following resources can support health officials in ensuring sustainability and equity throughout COVID-19 response activities.

            Tell Us Your Story

            Submit Your Stories About COVID-19 Response Efforts

            If you're with a local health department, please share your stories with NACCHO to help us advocate for you.

            Tell Us Your Story

            Submit Your Stories About COVID-19 Response Efforts

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            NACCHO’s COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

            This FAQ provides various resources and guidance for questions that NACCHO frequently receives.

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            NACCHO’s COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

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            NEHA’s COVID-19 EH Workforce Needs Assessment

            NEHA released findings report from their nationwide environmental health workforce needs assessment in response to COVID-19.

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            NEHA’s COVID-19 EH Workforce Needs Assessment

            Contact [email protected] with any questions.

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