Perhaps the most generous donation so far,
however, is from billionaire Elon Musk, who has
ordered more than 1,200 ventilators from China,
shipping them to Los Angeles for hospitals
in the region. Since then, the entrepreneur
has instructed manufacturers at his New
York plant to design and create ventilators
“as soon as humanly possible,” and it’s a
similar picture in other parts of the world, with
vacuum giants Dyson and GTech designing
ventilators for UK hospitals. Ford and 3M have
partnered, repurposing their manufacturing
sites to produce ventilators and protective
equipment for healthcare facilities.
Amazon is also getting in on the action, picking
up and delivering at-home testing kits as part
of a new research effort. Though this is only
happening at Seattle’s King County right now as
a trial, it’s expected to roll out around the world
as more and testing kits become available. In
the UK, Amazon will join Microsoft, Google,
Palantir, and London-based Faculty AI to use
data “to make informed, effective decisions” in
treating the coronavirus outbreak on a more
local level.
Google’s parent company Alphabet has
introduced a website to triage suspected
COVID-19 cases and direct them to testing sites,
whilst King’s College London researchers have
launched a tracking app to help scientists
identify high-risk areas, see who is most
vulnerable, and understand how fast the virus
is spreading in particular regions, with a view to
ramp up testing and facilities on a needs-must
basis, helping to reduce strain on vital health
services and save as many lives as possible.