Innovating COVID

An article about how companies are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

You have seen it all over the news, closures of businesses and society in general throughout the globe. During desperate times come with desperate measures, and the globe is now stuck in one of the most desperate times in centuries. The tech industry is no different, but many tech inventors and designers have come up with clever ways to overcome our current situation.

The COVID-19 virus has affected the lives of millions across the globe, as tech companies are no different. The tech industry has been harshly impacted, due to major headquarters closure and factories ceasing to create new products. Many industries such as video games, entertainment, and tech products have postponed their upcoming releases due to COVID-19. An average of 50 percent of stock prices are predicted to plunge. Yet, the human race has come together to fight through these next few grim months. Tech companies all around the world have decided to help those in need by supporting them and creating their own fantastic inventions.

The most direct way that major tech companies are helping with COVID-19 is by supporting those who are in need. Facebook and Cisco, both leading tech companies, have donated millions of dollars to supplies for public health and businesses to support those in need. Aruba has cleverly made temporary hospitals throughout multiple companies in delivery ships. Google has displayed instructions and awareness for stopping the spread of COVID-19 throughout the web and their other apps. Multiple internet and cell phone providers have determined to give free internet and cell phone coverage in a time of need. Amazon, a company that persists through the current events, has responded to the thousands of layoffs in the country by creating a hundred thousand more jobs, and Microsoft has decided to pay out of work hours for employees.

Many new pioneers in the technology industry have envisioned and created brilliant new ways to get through COVID-19. HP has provided 3d printing resources throughout the globe that could print out medical supplies such as face masks and ventilators. IBM, Intel, and BGI Genomics have used the observations from Artificial Intelligence to combat COVID-19. Many programmers with the support of Coding Dojo have decided to help small businesses by creating web pages for them. Multiple new apps have been created, such as Zira helps re-employ those who were recently laid off from their jobs. TraceTogether is an app that has come to face COVID-19. The tricky thing with COVID-19 is that the symptoms aren’t severe until a few weeks. TraceTogether counteracts this by creating a Bluetooth app that records people who were near a patient who would test positive. Since this data is very confidential, TraceTogether plans to give the data to government agencies.

The tech industry has been the target of multiple claims against it, as it was very dependable and invasive of people’s privacy of their lives. But, there is no doubt that major tech companies are now doing what they can to support humanity through these tough times. This support has boosted the public view on tech companies, major and unknown of. Small companies can now prosper on being known as supporting others through COVID-19 and bigger companies can now grow even further by supplying those without jobs with new virtual ones.

Author: Om Vyas, Peddie School