Cite this article
Karumuna, B.V., Tibesigwa, B.K. (2026) ‘Computational Fluid Dynamics-based simulation to analyse viral dispersion and spatial resilience in Tanzania’, Architecture Papers of the Faculty of Architecture and Design STU, 31(2), pp. 36-53. https://www.doi.org/10.2478/alfa-2026-0010
SUMMARY
This study offers a CFD-based simulation analysis of the airflow dynamics and viral spread at the COVID-19 isolation facility of Shinyanga Regional Referral Hospital (SRRH) in Tanzania, tackling significant ventilation limitations in resource-limited healthcare environments. The main goal of the study is to find areas where airborne contaminants are likely to become stuck and suggest architectural changes that will make these areas more resistant to future respiratory outbreaks. The scientists employed a steady-state k-epsilon turbulence models with an 11×10⁶ element computational mesh to simulate both unoccupied and occupied scenarios at three elevations: 0 m (floor), 1.0 m (bedridden individuals’ breathing zone), and 1.7 m (standing healthcare professional’s breathing zone). Results indicate substantial airflow fluctuation contingent upon height. At 1.7 m, the male ward kept good speeds (1.34–1.33 m/s), which helped get rid of contaminants. But at 1.0 m, speeds plummeted by as much as 57% near bed rails, which means there were dangerous pockets of immobility. When occupied, the triage and ante-lobby had very low inflow (0.08 m/s and 0.031 m/s, respectively). Medical equipment also slowed down local velocities by 25–40% around ventilators. At speeds between 0.71 and 0.72 m/s, the airlock worked quite well. Turbulence kinetic energy was unexpectedly larger at 1.7 m (HCW level; from: Healthcare Worker Categorisation) than at 1.0 m (patient level), indicating that standing staff experience increased mixing while sleeping patients remain in calmer, more stationary zones a key but previously unexplained discrepancy. The paper is new and innovative in three main ways: first, it is the first CFD-based airflow analysis of an active isolation centre in sub-Saharan Africa, bridging a major geographic gap in infection control studies; second, it introduces a height-based risk assessment framework that differentiates HCW and patient breathing zones, showing that current single-height ventilation standards may not adequately protect bedridden patients; and third, it recommends low-cost, context-specific adaptive strategies (hybrid natural-mechanical ventilation, modular spatial alterations, and real-time IAQ sensors) designed specifically for resource-limited environments rather than high-income settings. This research is very important because it provides a replicable, evidence-based technique for inspecting and upgrading existing isolation facilities in Tanzania and other low-income countries. This directly affects public health policies and building design standards. This research connects CFD with real-world infection control by turning CFD results into useful design suggestions. This will help healthcare systems that do not have enough resources to get ready for pandemics and be more resilient in space.