ASU professor, students build air filters to help keep kids safe from COVID-19 while in class

PHOENIX- An Arizona State University professor is using her professional expertise to help keep classrooms safe from COVID-19.

Infectious Disease Epidemiologist Meghan Jehn and students from the university are building DIY Corsi-Rosenthal boxes, which can filter out air particles that can carry viruses like COVID-19.

Jehn says the air filters only take about 20 minutes to make and cost around $60.

“We take four air filters, we tape them together with duct tape in the shape of a cube, we take a standard box fan, we tape the box fan to the top of this box and seal it all uptight,” Jehn said. “Then we add a piece of cardboard to the fan just to increase the pressure of the airflow.”

Clean air then blows through the top of the box, Jehn said.

Once the air filters are done, the university will have a pickup event where Valley teachers can come and get the finished product for their classrooms.

Jehn said her team has been working to gather donations from the community to support the project.

“As supplies come in, we organize what we are calling ‘Box-A-Thons’ or sort of build events on campus,” she said.

Her goal is to make sure everyone has the opportunity to make an air filter.

“We’re creating lessons plans, we’re building a website with tool kits so people can go out and buy these kits themselves and build them,” Jehn said.

The group will be holding a boxing event on ASU’s Tempe campus in front of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at 900 S. Cady Mall from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Friday.

Those who want to donate to the cause can find more information online.

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