The coronavirus came into our lives suddenly, and many will rightly say that it brought panic. Nothing bad but good, because through the quarantine we appreciated the given things in our lives, a simple walk, contact with our family, the sense of touch that has been limited as touching is now done under conditions and much more. Some young people, in the midst of all this turmoil and reassessment of things, created new ideas and solutions.
Young people from all over the world, made the threat of the coronavirus their personal motivation and developed new innovative technologies against the virus. Some of these are low-cost ventilators, 3D-printed medical supplies and shipping containers repurposed as ICU wards.
Global Shapers and Young Global Leaders are two organizations that actively support young people to develop new ideas. With over 10,000 members and a presence in 148 countries, they provide solutions according to the needs of each of the 421 Hubs they have.
Let’s get to know some of them in detail:
Expandable Ventilator, Barcelona Hub & YGL Javier Garcia Martinez
The Barcelona Hub youth team and Javier Garcia Martinez from YLG (Young Global Leaders) have created an expandable ventilator in order to reduce the pressure on hospitals in the midst of an acute shortage. Three hospitals are already testing the device in their ICUs, giving patients suffering from the most severe symptoms a better chance of survival.
3D Printed Face Shields, Madrid Hub
The Madrid Hub youth group has begun 3D printing face shields, respiratory filters, and ventilators for some of the hardest-hit hospitals around the world.
3D Printing Equipment for Frontline Doctors, Gaza Hub
In the Gaza Strip, where medical supplies are in short supply, Gaza Hub, with support from Boston Hub, 3D printed 1,000 face shields, 50 goggles, and 20 ventilators to support local efforts in Gaza.
“In places where health infrastructure is almost nonexistent, young people can play a vital role in piloting new technologies that have the potential to save millions of lives in this pandemic. And that is very much needed in a context like ours.”
Innovative Intensive Care Solutions, Emma Greer (Milan Hub)
Emma Greer from Milan Hub is behind a project called CURA (Connected Units for Respiratory Ailments), which repurposes shipping containers as ICU pods. The first container was deployed in April in Turin, and there are plans to scale it up to hospitals across Italy, as well as Europe and Latin America. The project is being built by young volunteer designers, engineers and doctors.
Medical Shelter Development, YGL Cameron Sinclair & his team at Jupe Health
YGL Cameron Sinclair and his team at Jupe Health have launched a new venture to develop medical shelters for use by three distinct groups: mentally and physically exhausted healthcare workers, as well as ICU patients who are either critically ill or with non-life-threatening symptoms. The mobile spaces are produced at 1/30 the cost of standard hospital rooms and can be shipped anywhere using existing logistics infrastructure.
Telesalud COVID-19: Free Digital Telemedicine Solution, Venezuelan Doctors’ Group & YGL Andres Simon Gonzalez-Silen
The Telesalud COVID-19 platform provides virtual health services, including remote consultations and monitoring between doctors and patients, with the aim of decongesting already fragile health systems. Since its inception, the platform has supported over 80,000 Venezuelans, completing more than 25,000 tests and referring 1,150 high-risk patients to local hospitals.
“Young people cannot wait for others to take action on COVID-19. This is our new normal and it is the perfect opportunity to act with purpose today.”
AI-powered COVID-19 tracking, YGL Eyal Gura
Zebra Medical Vision, led by YGL Eyal Gura, has created a scalable, AI-driven method for tracking the spread of COVID-19. This solution, combined with a machine learning algorithm, analyzes CT scans to detect patients’ lung capacity to better predict their recovery. Gura will also deploy his product at Apollo Hospitals, India’s largest healthcare provider, serving over 40 million patients.
All of the above technologies developed by young people prove that humanity in difficult situations comes together and becomes a fist of strength to continue to exist and evolve. The scepter is of course taken up by the new generation, which, in these specific cases, in addition to the significant help it offers to humanity, also reflects the leaps in technology that are now an integral part of our evolution, our survival and our continuation.
Source:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/5-curve-flattening-innovations-being-developed-by-young-people/