The Philadelphia Citizen
3 June 2020
Text / 800-1500 Words
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
A group of tech-savy Swarthmore College alumni are helping to get a surplus of personal protective equipment into the hands of the medical professionals who need it most. Tapping into communities where it's not uncommon to have spare PPE due to environmental reasons such as wildfires, the group created a database that pairs donors with recipients. The process has allowed for more than 666,000 masks transferred to health care workers nationwide.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/world/australia/tom-hanks-rita-wilson-coronavirus.html
Damien Cave
The New York Times
12 March 2020
Text / 800-1500 Words
As the United States struggles to test all citizens exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus, Australia and Canada are offering lessons about best practices for preparing for a pandemic. Having learned from previous outbreaks, these countries implemented protocols such as a national hotline, easy-access to information about testing sites, and "an agency to coordinate and help finance testing and treatment during any kind of viral or disease outbreak" – all of which help make testing more efficient.
https://apnews.com/e43f2aea014e70abe3de23f9d79df8b1
Lisa Rathke
Michael Rubinkam
Associated Press
17 March 2020
Text / Under 800 Words
Several distilleries across the U.S. are shifting gears from producing beer to instead producing hand sanitizer to play a part in addressing the coronavirus pandemic. Combatting the shortage of the product, while also promoting better hygiene, distilleries are experimenting with recipes based on federal and World Health Organization guidelines and giving the product to patrons as well as donating to charities.
https://gardenandgun.com/articles/the-surprising-way-durham-distillery-is-helping-fight-coronavirus
Caroline Sanders
Garden & Gun
13 March 2020
Text / Under 800 Words
As restaurants look at a myriad of ways to enhance the cleanliness of their businesses in light of the coronavirus pandemic, a distillery in North Carolina chose to shift their focus from gin-making to making and distributing hand sanitizer. The owners of the distillery are also training neighboring businesses "how to use the solution responsibly," and then donating bottles of the sanitizer after they complete the session.
https://www.richlandsource.com/news/covid19/galion-distillery-creates-hand-sanitizer-from-high-proof-alcohol/article_e99c5c5e-6c57-11ea-93bd-3f7845a538fd.html
Brittany Schock
Richland Source
22 March 2020
Text / Under 800 Words
Six months ago, a distillery in Ohio had the idea to start making hand sanitizer on-site, but because of the rapid spread of the coronavirus and the FDA changing regulations, the business has now fast-tracked the idea into reality. With only their first batch ready to donate, the distillery has already received over 1,000 requests for deliveries of the sanitizer.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/taiwan-covid-19-canada-1.5502194
Vik Adhopia
CBC
19 March 2020
Text / 800-1500 Words
Although Taiwan and Canada saw the beginning of coronavirus outbreaks within days of each other, Taiwan has been able to better contain the spread. Using tactics such as integrating "its health insurance database with its immigration database" and using the military to help produce protective masks for medical workers, the Taiwanese government's aggressive approach offers lessons in how to use big data and regulations to stem the spread of infectious diseases.
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://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/health/coronavirus-masks-reuse.html
Gina Kolata
The New York Times
20 March 2020
Text / 800-1500 Words
As hospitals are forced to reuse protective masks during the coronavirus pandemic, researchers at the University of Nebraska are finding ways to decontaminate the masks, including with ultraviolet light.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90478596/why-drive-through-testing-is-such-an-important-tool-in-the-coronavirus-fight
Kristin Toussaint
FastCompany
18 March 2020
Text / 800-1500 Words
Drive-through coronavirus testing sites aren't just safer for all involved, they're also more efficient. Although the limited exposure to hospital personnel and other patients is critical for slowing the spread, drive-throughs, and walk-up tents also allow for more people to be tested at a faster rate by eliminating barriers such as patient intake.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/02/asia/coronavirus-drive-through-south-korea-hnk-intl/index.html
Sophie Jeong
Ivan Watson
CNN
3 March 2020
Broadcast TV News / Under 3 Minutes
To limit exposure during coronavirus testing, South Korea began piloting drive-thru test sites that allow those being tested to remain in their cars. The drive-thru, which sends results to the patient via text message three days later, has tested nearly 400 people in one day, helping to ease pressure oncovi other testing sites.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/08/813501632/seattle-health-care-system-offers-drive-through-coronavirus-testing-for-workers
Jon Hamilton
NPR
8 March 2020
Radio / Under 3 Minutes
Health care workers at the University of Washington are now able to get tested for coronavirus via a drive-through. Providing both convenience and safety by limiting exposure of the potentially ill, the test only takes five minutes and those tested usually get their results within a day.
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