In infection control for airborne pathogens, which type of room is preferred to minimize airborne transmission?

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Minimizing airborne transmission relies on keeping contaminated air contained and removed from the general environment. A negative-pressure room achieves this by maintaining lower pressure inside the room than in surrounding areas, so air tends to flow into the room and not out into hallways when doors are opened. The contaminated air is then exhausted or filtered (often through HEPA filtration), reducing the amount of infectious aerosols that could reach others. In contrast, a positive-pressure room pushes air out into surrounding spaces, which can drive aerosols into corridors; a standard unmodified room has no isolation, allowing aerosols to mix with other areas; an outdoor tent lacks the controlled pressure and filtration needed for reliable containment. Hence, negative-pressure rooms are best for containing airborne pathogens.