The effects of the coronaviurs outbreak in China are being felt particularly in the Finnish city of Mikkeli (in the South-Savo region). And not due to any infection there, but because Chinese hospitals need Mikkeli's air purifiers to remove coronavirus from room air.
According to the Finnish National Broadcasting Network (Yle), after the coronavirus outbreak, Chinese hospitals ordered 200 of those devices from the Espoo-based company Genano. Those devices are being assembled at the Matrel factory in Mikkeli.
Genano's CEO Niklas Skogster talked to Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat and said that, "The urgency came to us last week when news of the virus began to spread." Genano has patented and developed purifiers in Mikkeli.
The reason why Chinese hospitals ordered Genano was that this firm has collaborated and delivered equipment to China under normal conditions.
Kills bacteria and viruses
Skogster also talked to Lansi-Suomi about their patented technology: "This patented technology not only collects, but also eliminates and kills all airborne microbes such as viruses and bacteria. No organic material gets into the container. It is also capable of filtering out very small particles."
The air purifiers do not have a separate mechanical filter, they are using a very strong electric field that filters the air.
Right now, Genano hired extra a few hands but depending on the spread of the coronavirus epidemic, they may need more workers for assembling the air purifiers.
In the past, Genano supplied air purifiers around the world during the avian flu epidemic and the MERS epidemic.
