Covid: Homemade purifiers in Welsh schools to clean air

Ysgol Gymraeg Ffwrnes in Llanelli is using air purifiers to reduce Covid-19 transmission

More Welsh schools are using air purifiers to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in classrooms.

The machines have been developed and created in Carmarthenshire by a local doctor, with school children also helping in their construction.

"Covid-19 is a virus that spreads in the air, so ensuring clean air is essential," said Dr Rhys Thomas.

Dr Thomas said he had been "amazed" by the children's interest in the project.

"Good ventilation is key to breaking the transmission chain, as well as all other bacterial and fungal infections," the consultant at Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen, said.

'Excitement and enthusiasm'

"I have been amazed by the excitement and enthusiasm of the children who want to learn how to keep each other safe by cleaning the air and go build the machines themselves."

Dr Thomas said that together with colleagues in America he came up with the idea to make a simple but powerful device, which pupils could help make.

One of the air purifiers used at Ysgol Ffwrnes

The machines are called Corsi Rosenthal Thomas (CRT) and remove virus particles in the air.

Dr Thomas was also responsible for creating a special ventilator for Covid-19 patients, which was trialled in Bangladesh.

Several schools in Carmarthenshire are already using the purifiers, and the scheme is now being trialled in schools in Ceredigion.

'Worrying time'

"I saw Dr Rhys Thomas during lockdown working on these air cleaners and decided to contact him," said Ioan Jones, deputy head at Ysgol Gymraeg Ffwrnes Llanelli.

"With the pandemic, it has been a worrying time for staff and pupils, and I saw Dr Rhys's work online," he said.

Mr Jones said that instead of buying expensive machines, the school bought the resources asked Dr Thomas to build the purifiers with the help of pupils.

He said the machines have helped to reduce the amount of COVID cases in the school.

Llywelyn, Seren and Maggie, pupils at Ysgol Gymraeg Ffwrnes, who are helping to build the purifiers

It has had four machines since the end of last year, with one in each of the school's year 5 and 6 classes.

There are plans to extend install machines in other classes too.

"Ideally I would put one in each class but as Covid is having a bigger impact on older children, we decided to put them in year 5 and 6 classes," Mr Jones said.

Seren, a pupil at the school, said working on the machines had been an interesting experience.

"Since working with Dr Rhys, I have a better understanding of how Covid is spread through the air," she said. "It's interesting to see the filters on the machine change colour when cleaning the air."

Ysgol Bro Pedr in Lampeter, Ceredigion is using three of the air purifiers. Aled Wyn Dafis, its head of design and technology, said he looked into what the department could do to reduce the impact of the Omicron wave on schools.

He came across Dr Thomas's work which used cheap resources which were available online and contacted him with a view to trialling the machines.

Ceredigion council plans to trial a further 30 units, which will be built and implemented in classrooms on primary and secondary campuses across the county.

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