Ford Launches Air Filtration Kit to Help Schools Stay Safe From COVID-19

Ford Motor Company, an OEM with a large fleet division, is always focused on road safety, but now the automaker is doing something special to help keep schoolchildren safe from COVID-19.

In partnership with Lasko, Ford recently co-developed a DIY air-filtration kit. The system enables easy mitigation of risk of airborne spread of COVID-19 in enclosed spaces like classrooms with poor ventilation.

The co-developers are donating 20,000 kits to organizations in underserved communities, including school districts in Los Angeles, New York City and throughout Southeast Michigan.

Known as Scrappy Filtration kits, they feature a cardboard enclosure, 20-inch Lasko box fan and high-efficiency air filter — ready for easy assembly. The air filter is placed inside the folded cardboard base, with the fan placed on top. The fan operates on high for maximum filtration, discharging clean air downward as it pulls unfiltered air from above.

The device is not intended to be a singular solution. Rather, the kit is meant to supplement a room’s existing filtration system to further help reduce the risk of COVID-19 virus particle concentration.

The invention’s effectiveness is supported by a peer-reviewed research article appearing this month in the scientific journal, Physics of Fluids.

The kit is based on Ford research as well as scientific studies by academic and government agencies.