The COVID-19 pandemic has instigated global lockdowns, profoundly altering daily life and resulting in widespread closures, except for essential services like healthcare and grocery stores. This scenario has notably intensified mental health challenges, particularly among children and adolescents. Influenced by a myriad of factors including developmental stages, educational backgrounds, existing psychiatric disorders, and socioeconomic status, the pandemic’s impact extends beyond the immediate health crisis. This paper critically examines the multifaceted effects of the pandemic on mental and physical health across various age groups. It highlights the increased incidence of stress, anxiety, and depression, underscoring the pandemic’s deep psychological footprint. Additionally, the paper explores the societal implications, from altered family dynamics and educational disruptions due to the shift to online learning, to workplace transformations. These changes have led to a mix of adaptive responses and adverse effects, including heightened domestic tensions and mental health issues. The paper also delves into the ethical challenges faced by medical professionals during this crisis, balancing urgent patient care with ongoing medical research and mental health considerations. This analysis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic’s extensive impact on health and society, emphasizing the importance of addressing mental health as a crucial component of the response strategy.

In the history of public health, space has evolved through several stages driven by shifts in concepts of disease control. The history of public health is summarized by George Rosen in six phases: Origins (before 500 CE), Middle Ages (500–1500), Mercantilism and Absolutism (1500–1750), Enlightenment and Revolution (1750–1830), Industrialism and the Sanitary Movement (1830–1875), and the Bacteriological Era (1875–present). By integrating architectural sociology—a temporal lens examining the interplay between architecture, individuals, and society—this study investigates how architects historically responded to public health challenges, offering critical insights for contemporary healthy habitat design. Architecture not only addresses survival needs but also materializes societal consciousness. The progression of health-related cognition (e.g., germ theory), behavioural norms (e.g., hygiene practices), infrastructure systems (e.g., sanitation networks), and scientific advancements collectively redefined spatial paradigms. Architects constructed temples, thermae, lazarettos, Beitian Yangbingfang (charitable infirmaries), anatomical theaters, quarantine hospitals, tenements, mass housing, and biosafety laboratories. These cases exemplify the co-evolution of “Concept” (disease control ideologies), “Technology” (construction methods), and “Space” (built environments). By synthesizing centuries of public health spatial practices, this research deciphers the dynamic interplay among “Concept, Technology, and Space”. Leveraging historical patterns, we propose a predictive framework to refine future spatial strategies in anticipation of emerging health crises.