Much has been said about Covid-19's rapid spread across the world, and it certainly is disorienting to consider how "normal" things were just 2 months ago.
As fast as the virus's timeline is, the speed at which people can move to confront it is even faster. Consider this timeline--
March 23--Taiwanese doctor puts a design on the web for an intubation box, meant to protect doctors when patients need to be put on ventilators
April 2--I watch a video put out by a west coast closet shop demonstrating fabrication of these intubation boxes
April 4--Put out email to every medical professional I know asking if this is something they could use
April 6--One Chief Medical Officer responds. His hospital can use 10, can I get a prototype to them?
April 14--I source some acrylic plexiglass, and put a few hours in watching YouTube videos on how to bend and glue plexiglass, and deliver a prototype
April 17--Delivered 9 more boxes.
Literally 3 weeks from idea to delivery. The internet made it possible to get the information from the other side of the world where it was generated, to shops like mine, to places where these items are needed.
Try a web search for face shields or masks. Practically overnight, people have generated designs for these items, using common materials, and posted their work online for all to benefit from. Amidst the detritus of internet content, there is some real stuff, doing real good.
As fast as the virus's timeline is, the speed at which people can move to confront it is even faster. Consider this timeline--
March 23--Taiwanese doctor puts a design on the web for an intubation box, meant to protect doctors when patients need to be put on ventilators
April 2--I watch a video put out by a west coast closet shop demonstrating fabrication of these intubation boxes
April 4--Put out email to every medical professional I know asking if this is something they could use
April 6--One Chief Medical Officer responds. His hospital can use 10, can I get a prototype to them?
April 14--I source some acrylic plexiglass, and put a few hours in watching YouTube videos on how to bend and glue plexiglass, and deliver a prototype
April 17--Delivered 9 more boxes.
Literally 3 weeks from idea to delivery. The internet made it possible to get the information from the other side of the world where it was generated, to shops like mine, to places where these items are needed.
Try a web search for face shields or masks. Practically overnight, people have generated designs for these items, using common materials, and posted their work online for all to benefit from. Amidst the detritus of internet content, there is some real stuff, doing real good.
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