LONDON, England – Dyson may be known for vacuum cleaners and hand dryers, but the coronavirus has forced the company to shift its focus to ventilators.
James Dyson, the company’s billionaire founder, designed a new one in just 10 days. Now, he's making 15,000 of them to fight COVID-19.
Dyson sent a letter to employees confirming the British government's order for 10,000 units.
According to Dyson, the company designed and built an entirely new ventilator called the "CoVent" after getting a call 10 days ago from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Dyson says the CoVent is designed for COVID-19 patients and can be manufactured quickly – which is key as the demand rises fast amid the pandemic.
A company spokesperson told CNN that the ventilators should be ready by early April.
Dyson says he will donate 5,000 ventilators for the international fight against the pandemic, 1,000 of which will remain in the U.K.