These proposed 12 categories are a basic attempt to organize innovations and ideas that might be relevant to COVID-19 response.
Innovations that help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including healthcare worker protection equipment (PPE), healthcare worker training, sterilization, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) innovations. Examples include self-sanitizing PPE or new applications for fast, robust, inexpensive sterilization for reuse.
Innovations that can help treat COVID-19 and related complications, including medical equipment (such as the design or retrofitting of ventilators to enable new units at scale quickly) and emergency treatment units. It also includes healthcare practitioner training and technology assistance to enable maximum use of existing and new systems and approaches (such as virtual reality capabilities for rapid immersion, tele-supervised training or novel approaches to practitioner force multiplication).
Focused efforts for rapid testing and detection with reduced health workforce needs, for both molecular and immunological tests.
Supporting one-way (e.g. public health officials to individuals) and two-way (e.g. between health workers) or collaborative/public communication (e.g. public web portal with COVID-19 services and supplies) of emergency information between health workers, public health officials, and individuals.
Innovations that support critical delivery of water, food, health, hygiene, and other supplies as well as financial support (i.e. relief funds) during and after a COVID-19 outbreak.
Transportation for COVID-19 impacted supply chains or individuals such as safe transport of specimens and medical equipment or mobility-friendly triaging or treatment units, particularly for rural areas.
Rapid aggregation, visualization, and dissemination of data about treatments, diagnostics, and up-to-date confirmed cases to inform the public and critical decision-makers.
Uninterrupted access to education to those impacted by COVID-19 including distance learning, self-learning without parental or guardian support, and others.
Support during and after the crisis for communities and healthcare workers such as from isolation for trauma and depression. Peer-to-peer support, information and other social platforms that allow people to stay engaged and connected with their communities while social distancing.
New and continuing job training, innovative financial support methods, employment enabling technologies.
Protection of individuals or marginalized/vulnerable groups at greater risk due to COVID-19 or other factors (e.g. youth, women, refugees, migrants, elderly, etc.).
Policies or guidelines to contribute to public well-being and ensure rapid, equitable, inclusive and human-centered responses.
* While we welcome innovations at every stage including research, we acknowledge other resources that are aggregating relevant clinical research especially for prevention, treatment, and testing solutions. We will link to them from the Resources page.
These categories may evolve in response to the evolving pandemic and based on feedback from the development community. Please share your thoughts and feedback with the GIE team: partners@globalinnovationexchange.org.
consideration across these categories.
Disclaimer: Global Innovation Exchange (GIE) does not endorse any innovations or other content on the site. The goal of the GIE is to ensure an equal playing field, allowing all innovations and funding opportunities to be equally publicized and accessible, helping those with challenges find solvers who might have viable solutions. The site visitor must perform their own due diligence on any particular innovation they may find interesting and potentially appropriate. GIE does not control, is not responsible for, and makes no representations or warranties with respect to any user content. GIE does not assume any responsibility or obligation for the accuracy, completeness, or authenticity of material on the website.
