Tech companies are playing a crucial role in the fight against the spread of coronavirus
Nickie Louise
Posted On March 25, 2020
As the number of coronavirus cases rises worldwide, it becomes apparent that tech companies are playing a crucial role in the fight to limit the spread of the virus. Tech companies, large and small, are working with government to reverse the trend of the deadly coronovirus.
As we reported last week and this week, tech companies are working on many fronts to not only provide the much needed treatment for coronovirus patients, they are also doing their fare share in the fight against the spread of the virus. Below are the areas in which tech companies are making a big difference.
Tesla and General Motors donating thousands of ventilators.
Tesla and automaker giant General Motors Co. announced last week they are retooling their operations to start making ventilators. Elon Musk joined GM in offering to manufacture hospital ventilators amid the coronavirus outbreak, an effort that would echo Detroit’s contribution to Allied powers during World War II. Yesterday, Tuesday, Elon Musk donated 1,255 ventilators in fight against coronavirus, according to a statement from California governor.
Apple and Honeywell providing N95 Masks.
Over the weekend, Apple pledged to donate two million N95 masks continues to protect themselves from the deadly coronavirus. Yesterday, Vice President Pence also announced during the Tuesday White House Coronavirus Task Briefing that tech giant Apple has pledged to donate additional seven millions N95 Masks, making a total of 9 million N95 masks. N95 respirator is a respiratory protective device designed to achieve a very close facial fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles. Industrial giant Honeywell is also supporting the effort to combat the virus by ramping up the production of the much needed N95 mask.
California-based diagnostic testing company Cepheid receives FDA approval to develop rapid coronavirus test with results in 45 minutes.
Cepheid, a Sunnyvale, California-based diagnostic testing company, is developing a coronovirus test kit that will give results within 45 minutes. The company received the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2, a rapid molecular diagnostic test for qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. The test has been designed to operate on any of Cepheid’s more than 23,000 automated GeneXpert® Systems worldwide, with a detection time of approximately 45 minutes, the company said in a press release.
Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, YouTube (owned by Google) and LinkedIn (owned by Microsoft) and coronavirus misinformation.
World’s major tech companies released a joint statement on Monday night making a plea to other companies to join them in helping to combat “fraud and misinformation” during the coronavirus pandemic. Among the companies making the request are: Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, YouTube (owned by Google) and LinkedIn (owned by Microsoft). Verily also launched a website Monday to screen people in California’s Santa Clara and San Mateo counties who think they might have COVID-19 and point them to testing sites. Microsoft also launched an online tracker for COVID-19 at Bing.com/covid on Monday. The site features a live map showing cases throughout the world, similar to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard.
