These are one of the advantages of an ingenious do-it-yourself air filtration system assembled by Brown University students on Friday afternoon to prevent coronavirus and other viruses.

Upper grades Hannah Joyce and Adam Furman are two of the students.

"This is a good idea," Joyce said.

"It's really simple," Furman said. "None of us has experience in air filtration technology or the like. I know this is very useful."

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"And its production speed and cost-effectiveness are really amazing," Joyce said.

According to the printed instructions, the predecessors took about 20 minutes to assemble their first system. The second one goes faster.

The cost of materials—four MERV 13 furnace filters (MERV stands for the lowest reported efficiency value), tape and a 20-inch box fan and the box in which it is sold—approximately $50, which is much lower than many off-the-shelf can Take-out models purchased online and in stores. Only one tool is needed-a utility knife for cutting boxes, some of which are used for construction.

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As for effectiveness, Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, brought the idea to the school on Friday and visited Alumnae Hall. He said that they rate it highly. Whether you choose to build your own model or buy a prefab system from a retailer, he recommends using air filters for homes, offices, and schools, especially now that the cold weather is approaching. 

"One thing we learned in this pandemic is that indoor air quality does have a huge impact on disease," Jha told The Wall Street Journal. "Viruses will float in the air for a long time. This is one of the main mechanisms by which people are infected-not only COVID, but other viruses, including influenza."

Due to the early surge in recorded cases, public health officials and healthcare providers warned this week that a severe flu season could occur this winter. 

This homemade system is technically known as the DIY Corsi-Rosenthal Cube, and is the brainchild of Richard Corsi, Dean of the School of Engineering at the University of California, Davis, and Jim Rosenthal, Chairman and CEO of Air Relief Technologies, Texas.

"I think they were raised on the Zoom conference call," Jha said. 

As Internet searches have shown, they are becoming more and more popular.

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On Friday, Jha ordered enough supplies to build about 50 systems. When completed, they will be placed in the public area around Brown. The Jha plan encourages educators in other schools to consider using them when poor ventilation and tight budgets may hinder improving air quality.

"Is it fun to make them?" Jia said. "I made one with a group of students a few days ago. It's great."

Jha said that he particularly likes the model with colored tape.

"I have seen people make them in pink and rainbow colors," he said. "You can really customize these things."

Number of RI cases: 186,387 (588 cases reported on Friday)

Negative test in RI: 5,712,370 (15,758 reported on Friday; positive rate of 3.6%)

RI COVID-related deaths: 2,906 (3 reported on Friday)

Rhode Islanders hospitalized with COVID: 113 (20 in intensive care unit)

Fully vaccinated in RI: 754,790 (837,144 at least partially vaccinated)