A. O. Smith donates RMB 27.91 million equipment to combat coronavirus in China

A.O. Smith Corp. is joining international companies assisting China in its fight against the deadly coronavirus.

Milwaukee-based A.O. Smith donated and installed 50 air purification units in local hospitals in China, according to the company's director of corporate communications Tami Kou. Twenty units went to Gulou Hospital in Nanjing and an additional 30 went to Tongji Hospital in Wuhan. A.O. Smith is also working with the Red Cross in China to add another 150 air purification units to other local hospitals that are currently fighting the coronavirus.

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A.O. Smith manufactures residential and commercial water heaters and boilers. The company also is a major manufacturer of air purification units in the China market.

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Lab tests confirmed that A.O. Smith's air purifiers are 99.9% effective in removing the H1N1 virus, which the company said is about the same size as the coronavirus (80-100 nanometers).

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The coronavirus began in the city of Wuhan, China, and has spread to several countries including the United States. The New York Times reported there are at least 80 people dead as a result of the virus. There are five confirmed cases in the U.S.; none are in Milwaukee although one is in the Chicago area. Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is currently not screening passengers for the illness.

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Originally donating 50 air purifiers to two hospitals in China, A. O. Smith increased donation to 2,000 air purifiers to 100 hospitals in China. This donation is valued at 1.5 million.