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Next City
14 April 2020
Text / 800-1500 Words
Chicago, Illinois, United States
An online tool called Mighty serves as a “Tripadvisor” for banks, connecting users with publicly-available data on how banks across the United States use their money so that they can make informed decisions when it comes to choosing a bank. During the coronavirus pandemic, Mighty is filling a popular request by connecting small business owners with banks and credit unions that are reliably implementing the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. Mighty has a particular focus on how much social good each bank does, reminding people that every individual choice adds up to societal change.
https://www.euractiv.com/section/coronavirus/news/commitment-transparency-pay-off-as-south-korea-limits-covid-19-spread
Andrés Sánchez Braun
EURACTIV
16 March 2020
Text / Under 800 Words
Weeks before the coronavirus outbreak was declared to be a pandemic, Seoul, and other parts of South Korea set into motion a combination of "prevention and mitigation programs" that are now being touted as lessons for other countries struggling to contain the virus. Using technological advancements such as a national mobile phone alert system and mobile phone applications along with increased transparency around data collected, new reports of cases have slowed allowing the country to prepare for a potential surge later on.
https://thebristolcable.org/2020/03/self-organising-coronavirus-fight-back
Adam Cantwell-Corn
The Bristol Cable
18 March 2020
Text / 800-1500 Words
As a grass-roots response to assist vulnerable populations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, communities around the world are using social media to distribute supplies, services, and advice. One such group on Facebook, the Bristol Community Care - Covid-19 Mutual Aid, has gone viral with thousands of members seeking to help or receive help.
https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/can-volunteer-run-online-platforms-to-support-neighbors-in-need-meet-demand
Julia Hotz
Next City
19 March 2020
Text / 800-1500 Words
As social distancing becomes increasingly important as cities and states work to control the coronavirus outbreak, people in New York are finding creative ways to communicate in order to help one another. In New York City, community members are utilizing a website where volunteers are matched with their vulnerable neighbors' requests for errands, while in Brooklyn, community organizers are using a spreadsheet to connect and find support.
https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/bodegas-corner-stores-part-crisis-response-theyre-also-uniquely-vulnerable
Oscar Perry Abello
Next City
19 March 2020
Text / 800-1500 Words
Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, bodegas offer local supplies in many food deserts across the country. While the bodegas struggle to find funding and stay in business for their neighborhoods, they also fight their way into policy discussions and micro-loan programs to stay afloat for low-income neighbors needing healthy food options.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90477956/want-to-do-something-good-during-your-coronavirus-quarantine-do-mutual-aid
Adele Peters
FastCompany
17 March 2020
Text / Under 800 Words
Those over the age of 65 have been instructed to stay at home as much as possible during the coronavirus pandemic, so younger adults are coming together across the nation to help deliver this population essentials. Between Facebook, Nextdoor, and basic spreadsheets, communities are finding ways to provide mutual aid by connecting lower-risk neighbors with their more at-risk neighbors.
https://www.koat.com/article/online-bot-created-by-cdc-provides-triage-for-coronavirus-testing/31868430
Susannah Cullinane
KOAT-TV
22 March 2020
Text / Under 800 Words
To reduce the number of people being tested unnecessarily for coronavirus, the CDC has introduced an online bot that helps people determine the severity of their symptoms. Because the United States has a limited supply of tests and medical equipment currently available, the goal of the bot is to prioritize tests for those who need them most.
https://globalnews.ca/news/6695286/coronavirus-italy-3d-print-valves
Josh K. Elliott
Global News
18 March 2020
Text / Under 800 Words
When a hospital in Italy ran the risk of running out of a medical valve that was necessary to help treat patients suffering from COVID-19, an engineering company stepped in to fill the gap by 3D printing the valve. Choosing "patients over patents," the company was able to mass produce 100 valves – at a fraction of the cost of a regular valve – which have already helped at least 10 patients.
https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/virtual-tip-jar-philadelphia
Roxanne Patel Shepelavy
The Philadelphia Citizen
19 March 2020
Text / 800-1500 Words
As restaurants across the nation have been forced to close their doors during the coronavirus pandemic, some are turning to creative means to help account for the loss of revenue. In Philadelphia, restaurants have created a virtual tip jar to encourage patrons to "donate a tip" to a person or business while in San Francisco a restaurant owner has created a Facebook group that helps connect out of work servers with childcare jobs.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/health/coronavirus-misinformation-social-media.html
Matt Richtel
The New York Times
6 February 2020
Text / 1500-3000 Words
As word of the coronavirus outbreak spread, so did misinformation, so the World Health Organization began working with big tech companies to put a stop to it. Collaborating with the likes of Pinterest, Google, Twitter, and Facebook, W.H.O. has posted content that disputes the incorrect information across platforms and sites in order to make "falsehoods harder to find in searches or on news streams."
https://www.wired.com/story/a-disease-tracker-backed-by-gates-and-zuckerberg-tackles-covid-19
Megan Molteni
Wired
10 March 2020
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Identifying the metagenomic sequencing for new outbreaks of viruses can help to better assess how the virus is spreading, which in turn helps health officials figure out how to slow down the contagion. In the midst of a coronavirus outbreak, a tool that was first used to during the SARS outbreak is now being used to track Covid-19 in under-resourced places such as Cambodia.
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