More good news from the coronavirus frontlines

Top 10+ positive news items about the COVID-19 pandemic to help keep a sense of balance and perspective.

Good news stories emerge during coronavirus pandemic

This time last week, BrightVibes published 7 Positive Updates on the Coronavirus Outbreak, to remind our readers that it’s not all doom and gloom. This week, in the interests of balance and perspective amid all the fear-mongering and chaos, BrightVibes is delighted to  share 10+ more positive stories of hope and good news surrounding the coronavirus outbreaks. We first saw this news roundup over on FutureCrunch.

“Today the downward trend is confirmed,” said Giulio Gallera, the welfare councillor for Lombardy, “We can say that it is the first positive day, it is not the time to sing victory but we finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.”
1. Italy’s coronavirus death toll and infection rate slowed for a second day on Monday 23rd March. “Today the downward trend is confirmed,” said Giulio Gallera, the welfare councillor for Lombardy, “We can say that it is the first positive day, it is not the time to sing victory but we finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.” Source: Unsplash/JonathanBean
The first human trials have started, only eight weeks in to the global crisis. Any vaccine for the coronavirus would have to made available to everyone, not just the “haves,” WHO officials said.
2. The World Health Organisation says that at least 20 vaccines are now in development. The first human trials have started, only eight weeks in to the global crisis. Any vaccine for the coronavirus would have to made available to everyone, not just the “haves,” WHO officials said. Source: Unsplash/CDC
The trial will test four different drugs or combinations – remdesivir, a combination of two drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir, the two drugs plus interferon beta, and chloroquine. The trial is kicking off in eight countries, with more to follow.
3. The World Health Organisation also launches global ‘Solidarity trial’: The trial will test four different drugs or combinations – remdesivir, a combination of two drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir, the two drugs plus interferon beta, and chloroquine. The trial is kicking off in eight countries, with more to follow. Source: Unsplash/CDC
Their plans have been approved by the FDA, and the first deliveries will start arriving next week.
4. Nine of the biggest textile companies in the US have formed a consortium to produce 10 million facemasks a week for healthcare workers. Their plans have been approved by the FDA, and the first deliveries will start arriving next week. Source: Unsplash/DeanSun
Apple CEO Tim Cook alluded to the donation in a tweet later Saturday, saying: “Our teams at Apple have been working to help source supplies for healthcare providers fighting COVID-19. We’re donating millions of masks for health professionals in the US and Europe. To every one of the heroes on the front lines, we thank you.”
5. Apple is donating 2 million industrial masks to help address the needs of health care workers in areas hit hard by the virus. Apple CEO Tim Cook alluded to the donation in a tweet later Saturday, saying: “Our teams at Apple have been working to help source supplies for healthcare providers fighting COVID-19. We’re donating millions of masks for health professionals in the US and Europe. To every one of the heroes on the front lines, we thank you.” Source: Unsplash/visuals
Also, 5,000 disposable protection suits and other protective equipment are part of the shipment. According to local sources, this supply of masks was reserved for the staff and families of Huawei in China, but as the situation is now improving in Asia, Ren Zhengfei, CEO of Shenzhen-based Huawei, generously decided to donate the supplies to Spain instead.
6. Spain will receive 1 million face masks this week from Chinese technology giant Huawei. Also, 5,000 disposable protection suits and other protective equipment are part of the shipment. According to local sources, this supply of masks was reserved for the staff and families of Huawei in China, but as the situation is now improving in Asia, Ren Zhengfei, CEO of Shenzhen-based Huawei, generously decided to donate the supplies to Spain instead. Source: Unsplash/MikaBaumeister
The UVD Robot technology is effective in fighting bacteria, viruses, fungi and other pathogens. The robot uses the UVC light spectrum, is completely autonomous, works without human intervention and can disinfect several salons or operating rooms alone, having a much higher productivity and thus protecting the medical staff in hospitals.
7. Autonomous disinfection robot with UVC light for disinfecting large spaces now operating in hospitals in China, Taiwan, Italy, United Kingdom, Denmark, Japan, UAE and others. The UVD Robot technology is effective in fighting bacteria, viruses, fungi and other pathogens. The robot uses the UVC light spectrum, is completely autonomous, works without human intervention and can disinfect several salons or operating rooms alone, having a much higher productivity and thus protecting the medical staff in hospitals. Source: Business-review.eu
Staff of an Indian restaurant bring free meals for the doctors and medics of a contagious diseases hospital in a gesture of support for their hard work fighting the coronavirus, in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, March 17, 2020.
8. In Poland, #gastropomaga (“gastronomy is helping”) is trending, as restaurants have started providing tens of thousands of free meals for doctors, nurses and medical professionals, with uplifting messages written on the boxes “You are our heroes.” Staff of an Indian restaurant bring free meals for the doctors and medics of a contagious diseases hospital in a gesture of support for their hard work fighting the coronavirus, in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Source: AssociatedPress
Markus Jox, a spokesperson for the health ministry, said authorities had asked all hospitals in Baden-Württemberg with free capacity to admit French patients who required ventilators. He said despite the state’s own limited capacity, “we will naturally try to help our French neighbours”.
9. Hospitals in southwest Germany have opened their doors to admit coronavirus-infected patients from a neighbouring region of eastern France. Markus Jox, a spokesperson for the health ministry, said authorities had asked all hospitals in Baden-Württemberg with free capacity to admit French patients who required ventilators. He said despite the state’s own limited capacity, “we will naturally try to help our French neighbours”. Source: Unsplash/MarthaDominguezdeGouveia
With the continued widespread outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty is making sure that her nonprofit, Clara Lionel Foundation, is helping to ease the burden of the virus’s effect on people. The foundation has donated $5 million to help fight the coronavirus pandemic.
10. Rihanna has donated $5 million for food banks serving at-risk communities, for testing kits in developing countries, and for equipment for healthcare  workers. With the continued widespread outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty is making sure that her nonprofit, Clara Lionel Foundation, is helping to ease the burden of the virus’s effect on people. The foundation has donated $5 million to help fight the coronavirus pandemic. Source: Fenty/Blackenterprise.com
16 of the world’s most powerful supercomputers have been offered to researchers in areas like bioinformatics, epidemiology, and molecular modelling, as the fight against coronavirus ramps up. In a race to find cure for the deadly coronavirus, the US government, industry and academia have pooled efforts to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) by offering researchers access to some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers from IBM, along with cloud-computing resources from Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Dubbed COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium, the effort brings together the Federal government, industry, and academic leaders to provide access to the world’s most powerful high-performance computing resources in support of COVID-19 research. The supercomputer will offer over 330 petaflops, 775,000 CPU cores, 34,000 GPUs, and counting.
11. Tech giants join forces with US government, offer 16 supercomputers to researchers in the fight against coronavirus 16 of the world’s most powerful supercomputers have been offered to researchers in areas like bioinformatics, epidemiology, and molecular modelling, as the fight against coronavirus ramps up. In a race to find cure for the deadly coronavirus, the US government, industry and academia have pooled efforts to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) by offering researchers access to some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers from IBM, along with cloud-computing resources from Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Dubbed COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium, the effort brings together the Federal government, industry, and academic leaders to provide access to the world’s most powerful high-performance computing resources in support of COVID-19 research. The supercomputer will offer over 330 petaflops, 775,000 CPU cores, 34,000 GPUs, and counting. Source: Techstartups.com

Thanks to our friends over at FutureCrunch for bringing this good news to our attention.

FutureCrunch are a group of scientists, artists, researchers and designers who believe that science and technology are the most powerful drivers of human progress. They create dynamic, evidence-based, visually spectacular presentations, designed to make people think differently.

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