April 24, 2020 / BY CORINNE PURTILL
In just a few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has crossed borders and oceans, killing thousands, sickening millions, and forcing millions more to reckon with the economic and personal chaos of closures and lockdowns.
Yet as the global infection count rises, the crisis has also given rise to acts of ingenuity. The pandemic has set off a global race for both an effective vaccine and for the accurate, rapid-response tests that will be necessary before workplaces can safely reopen. Vaccines and tests are essential, but they’re not the only front on which to combat the virus.
In the face of an urgent threat, scientists have pivoted from other projects and pooled their resources toward breakthroughs aimed at reducing infection and protecting lives. Chief among those are tools that make for cleaner, safer places for patients and those treating them, and that alleviate the crushing demands placed on healthcare workers during this crisis.
There’s no magic bullet to halt the advance of COVID-19, but many smaller acts of creativity and collaboration can save lives.
