Innovations in the time of COVID-19

This post will focus on innovations in COVID-19 immunizations. The core principles of the Immunization Agenda 2030, as we all know, are people-centered, country-owned, partnership-based, and data-driven immunization. Communities will benefit greatly if innovation in the vaccine supply chain, vaccine service delivery, and accessibility are implemented. An effective immunization is an interplay between products, places, and people. When innovation takes a chance to enter into this interplay, the innovations have to be designed in such a way as to overcome the barriers of vaccine coverage to achieve effective immunization. 

We already had innovation in vaccine supply in place before the pandemic struck, i.e., eVIN (electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network). 

This eVIN system is integrated into the widely used CoWIN (COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network) portal for scheduling immunization appointments. According to the Union Health Ministry, "India is using the CoWIN, with an inbuilt eVIN, which also tracks vaccines and allows for real-time monitoring of storage temperatures across 29,000 cold chain points at the national, state, and district levels”. The importance of eVIN in CoWIN is that it allows for better tracking of vaccine usage as well as reducing wastage, which helps more people get inoculated. Moving forward, GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) is more eager than ever to receive new ideas like ColdTrace, Zipline drones, etc from innovators all over the world. Smooth scaling-up processes are expected by innovators with all types of innovations all around the world to foster innovation during this unprecedented time.

Covid-19 has led to many innovations,  in healthcare industry.
The healthcare industry has produced ispiring examples of innovation in products, services, processes, and business and delivery models, often in partnership with other sectors. 
Online doctor consulting,  Available on various platform like Medibuddy ,Practo.
Easy medicine delivering , A registered website for Finding beds,  Oxygen,  Cylinders, and volunteer as well..Even a Pune based Laboratory named Mylab  developed  a Coviself test kit .
Health-focused innovations are only the most visible forms of innovation that have taken place, . There have been many innovations to deal with the indirect or secondary impacts of the pandemic. These include the wide range of public policy measures taken to aid hard-hit businesses and vulnerable households; grassroots innovations led by citizens and communities to provide mutual aid and strengthen social solidarity; and organisational innovations undertaken across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors to maintain and sustain critical operations in the face of national and global lockdowns, such as the growing use of online working practices, the introduction of a swathe of ‘COVID-19 safe’ business processes and business resilience measures.

<span;> //www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/innovation-development-and-covid-19-challenges-opportunities-and-ways-forward-0c976158/

@leenus_tafline_a_e Yes

@shyamlithakur Such an interesting read. Especially MUSEUN OF LIFE+SCIENCE seems like a promising step towards parent education in the current crises. Parenting in COVID-19 is certainly challenging. Overall there is a need of innovation especially in the field of Mental health. Social disconnection caused due to COVID-19 triggered various underlying mental health issues. Inability to access mental health care services gave rise of multitude of problems. 

Challenges for Mental Health and Social Care Services

This overview is not exhaustive, but highlights challenges faced by mental health and social care services in providing the support necessary to respond to rising needs. The pandemic has caused major disruptions in service provision (WHO, 2020), including:

1. The repurposing of mental health infrastructure and staff to support the COVID-19 response,
2. Outpatient services receiving fewer visits, as people are afraid of contracting the virus in hospital settings,
3. The challenge and risk of conducting face-to-face visits, forcing practitioners to shift to virtual consultations,
4. The difficulty of conducting virtual consultations when many people do not have access to the technology required,
5. Heightened risk of infection in long-stay mental health facilities, including care homes and psychiatric hospitals,
6. Increased pressure on and reduced numbers of mental health workers due to COVID-19 infection, burnout and limited opportunities to practice self-care and
7. Lockdown measures preventing formal and informal social support groups from gathering, increasing social isolation for many people.

At risk groups during the COVID-19 crises

1. Healthcare and frontline workers - Exhaustion, social isolation, stressful environment, lack of sleep and improper meals all these factors add up to affecting the mental health status of healthcare professionals. 

2. Patients - During and post recovery period act as triggers for crises. The fear of unknown caused mania, paranoia and stress. 

3. Caregivers - They get equally affected with the constant run, stress and uncertainty of situations. 

4. Children and adolescents - Due to the mitigation measures and isolation there is a lack of development of social skills. 

5. Elderly

The United Nations Secretary General published a Policy Brief on COVID-19 and the Need for Action on Mental Health in May 2020 (UN, 2020a). Its main recommendations include (i) applying a whole-of-society approach, (ii) ensuring widespread availability of emergency MHPSS and (iii) supporting recovery from COVID-19 by building mental health services for the future. Mental health organizations can apply international best practice guidelines to their local contexts as evidenced in the experiences highlighted in this article and the wider ‘Stories from the field’ project.

Reference article; //www.interventionjournal.org/article.asp?issn=1571-8883;year=2020;volume=18;issue=2;spage=159;epage=165;aulast=Hamilton

Here is an interesting read; 6 Innovative ideas to support mental health. 

//www.springwise.com/innovative-ideas/mental-health-support

Innovation on how can we influence people to take COVID  vaccine -

The sudden outburst of the global pandemic COVID-19 has affected our lives drastically. The changes are irreversible. Amid several countries refuting and denying the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine, there are chances of an exponential rise in mortality.The awareness strategy designed for the Indian population will act as a regulatory manual for the national, state, and district-level communication activities so the information reaches out to the targeted population of the country.

Communication strategy  is most important strategy to aware people about vaccine   so that it ensure all eligible groups receive the vaccine with utmost assurance and reliance and deliver  accurate information and ensuring that people are not intimidated by misinformation, myths, or misconceptions. 

communication strategy method that I think will have a great impact on people -

By Individuals and Influencers - Celebrities, sportspersons, political leaders from the entertainment industry as they make people aware about various health related issues like smoking and drinking, mental hygiene etc. They should make people aware by taking the vaccine themselves and make them believe that it is safe. Local leaders, leaders of faith, leaders of social culture, panchayat leaders, teachers because people trust them if they will tell about the benefits of taking the vaccine, frontline workers at the grassroots level like Anganwadi Supervisors, ANMs, Anganwadi workers, ASHA to them It helps to understand why they should get the vaccine because these workers are from their own land so they can trust them.

Community groups like Gram Sabha, NSS, Scouts and Guides etc. can also help in making people aware.

By Media - In today's world most of the people use smart phone so it will help us to spread positive news easily in less time through mass media which includes DTH, Cable, Mobile, TV, Radio, Social media (most common nowadays) ) and we can also make people aware of taking the vaccine by street plays, local folk songs, dance, storytelling.

With the spread of the COVID 19, there are also many challenges that came with it. But innovations and creations being an ever growing and developing fields, they helped us cope up and defeat all those unforeseen challenges during the pandemic. We have seen many innovations in the field of healthcare and others too, which takes several years to make it ready for the public. But during this pandemic we have witnessed a progress with rapid speed in the field of innovation.  From availability of rapid testing kits within weeks, online consultations, data analytics and visualization hubs to monitor spread of covid throughout the world, 3D printed  face shields for protection, to creating platforms for online educations, for employees to work from home and also telemedicine services. All these innovations helped to lessen the burden of the disease globally.

Although many of these innovations are still in progress, still trying to grow and most of them are not successful but as we know innovation is a learning process. With efforts from society, organizations, and also individually, it can be possible to come up with more such innovations and tackle challenges like the pandemic.

References :

//www.ie.edu/insights/articles/innovation-in-the-time-of- covid-19/

//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7453854/

//www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/13833/creativity-and-innovation-in-times-of-crisis-covid-19

Innovation has attracted a lot of attention in the perfect storm scenario of the ongoing pandemic as a means of dealing with these challenges and a host of other related issues.

In the first weeks of the pandemic, innovators’ focus was on tools for surveillance, supply chain management, and clinical trialing, and then gradually on solutions for diagnosing patients and efforts to develop a vaccine. Over time, innovators have started looking for ways to ensure that they communicate properly with the public.

Research collaboration platforms on COVID-19 were steadily established and more complex fields such as isolation of patients, hospital upgrading innovations, and risk stratification tools were developed and made public.

Examples include:

• Rapidly developing and deploying tests, personal protective equipment (PPE), clinical procedures, pharmaceutical treatments, and the ultimate holy grail of reliable and safe vaccines to protect against COVID-19.
• Developing effective surveillance techniques and technologies for tracking and tracing cases.
• Identifying ways of reducing transmission, including appropriate measures for reducing social contact, shielding the most vulnerable, and quarantining suspected and known cases.
• Developing appropriate policies and interventions for dealing with social and economic effects, as well as ensuring a secure and sustainable longer-term recovery.

A number of initiatives and programmes are-

• Lowering the cost of and access to vaccines and medicines in the poorest countries.
• Using mobile money and microfinance to drive financial inclusion and small business development.
• Using community-based approaches to tackle malnutrition and sanitation.
• Using cash transfers to enhance food security.
• Using insurance and other adaptation measures to enhance resilience to disasters and climate change.

//www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/innovation-development-and-covid-19-challenges-opportunities-and-ways-forward-0c976158/   

//www.adb.org/multimedia/innovation-covid-19/trends-in-innovation.html  

Posted by: @ashishjoshi

Please share your thoughts on innovations in the time of COVID-19.

These days, it is easy to focus on the negative. The spread of COVID-19 is having a devastating effect on countries’ economies and their citizens’ health. The novel aspect of this pandemic involves several unknowns and is likely to have a lingering impact for years to come. However, despite the current climate, I am somewhat comforted that the history of past pandemics and crises suggests an eventual recovery plan for the world.

After all, necessity is the mother of all invention. New creations arise out of disruption. My confidence is elevated by seeing the massive creativity and initiative of individuals coming together to solve the problem at hand through innovation. In particular, three phenomena have caught my attention.

1. We can research, experiment and innovative quickly.

2. There is an increased focus on empathy and solving real world problems.

3. We need to collaborate for a change. 

here are some examples :

a) Health companies uses drones for medical supplies delivery.

b) Docdot app can detect COVID remotely.

c) Hospitals used VR for training.

d) Artificial intelligence software companies 3D print nasal testing swabs.

e) Tytocare monitors quarantined patients through stethoscope.

reference :

//www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2021/02/01/10-examples-of-healthcare-innovation-in-the-face-of-covid/?sh=6b3aa8de680d

Without change there is no innovation and Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change and we all are familiar that COVID-19 all of a sudden led to the devastating effect on countries’ economies and their citizens’ health and these real world challenges had been tackled by society in efficient manner after all necessity is mother of all invention. Rapid testing kits were being developed to detect this virus  Meanwhile, hand sanitiser and production of masks occur on wide scale to protect the transmission of virus among  people and vaccine development  was also running side by side even some  Fashion designers have temporarily started making  medical gowns, and automakers  the ventilators so to save the mankind . with the help of Engineers plastic shields and PPE kits were also made  for brave healthcare workers. The list goes on and on. To keep the world running, supermarkets and logistics services have developed safety protocols to protect their employees and customers. Restaurants  and Zomato, swiggy started delivering essentials to home . Educators have created online classrooms platforms like MSTeams in a matter of days so that the study of students won't get interrupted and  work from home was able to happen due to  technologies that the 21^st century has bestowed upon us and to prevent the  mitigate contagion risk. , robots  were designed to deliver medicines, meals, and to collect bed sheets and rubbish  from hospitals even The e-commerce used drone programs to drop parcels and to spray the  disinfectant and helmets were designed in such a way that it was able to identify anyone with fever within a five-meter radius.

References :

//www.ie.edu/insights/articles/innovation-in-the-time-of- covid-19/

//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7453854/

Milagrow Seagull is an Indian consumer cleaning robot, the Milagrow brand. It displays progress and map in real-time when cleaning the device of the user. The robot intends to minimise the time required in real time in each field. This robot vacuum has also anti-bacterial, anti-microbial or antiviral capabilities which promise to help minimise infection propagation in hospitals and the like. The robot can help to clean up somewhat damp, as per the official announcement of the firm.

Dozee is a Turtle Shell Technologies gadget designed to provide accurate ailment diagnosis to assist gain access to better health care. This instrument may be used to diagnose many diseases in advance, which decrease the time needed to decide on hospitals and do several tests.It is an intelligent contact-free health monitor that can be slipped beneath your mattress. It tracks people's health by using measures such as heart health, stress, sleep quality, etc. It offers a comprehensive analysis report on Dozee applications which may be loaded on smartphones.

//www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/5-indian-technology-innovations-developed-during-covid-19-outbreak/article32772090.ece

The pandemic and subsequent mitigation measures have severely impacted all but the most essential activities, effectively shutting down operations in commerce and services. Education has also been disproportionately affected, as the congregation of the youngest members of the community in closed spaces can significantly contribute to the spread of the virus. In total, more that 900 million learners in all levels of education, including higher education, have been affected.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all aspects of academic medical center missions. The number and rapidity of innovative responses to the crisis are extraordinary. When the pandemic has subsided, the world of academic medicine will have changed. The author of this Invited Commentary anticipates that at least some of these innovations will become part of academic medicine’s everyday clinical and educational operations. Here, he considers the implications of exemplary innovations—virtual care, hospital at home, advances in diagnosis and therapy, virtual learning, and virtual clinical learning—for regulators, academic medical centers, faculty, and students.

The crisis brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic has altered global waste generation dynamics and therefore has necessitated special attention. The unexpected fluctuations in waste composition and quantity also require a dynamic response from policymakers. This study highlights the challenges faced by the solid waste management sector during the pandemic and the underlying opportunities to fill existing loopholes in the system. The study presents specific cases for biomedical waste, plastic waste, and food waste management - all of which have been a major cause of concern during this crisis. 

The pandemic and subsequent mitigation measures have severely impacted all but the most essential activities, effectively shutting down operations in commerce and services. Education has also been disproportionately affected, as the congregation of the youngest members of the community in closed spaces can significantly contribute to the spread of the virus. In total, more that 900 million learners in all levels of education, including higher education, have been affected.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all aspects of academic medical center missions. The number and rapidity of innovative responses to the crisis are extraordinary. When the pandemic has subsided, the world of academic medicine will have changed. The author of this Invited Commentary anticipates that at least some of these innovations will become part of academic medicine’s everyday clinical and educational operations. Here, he considers the implications of exemplary innovations—virtual care, hospital at home, advances in diagnosis and therapy, virtual learning, and virtual clinical learning—for regulators, academic medical centers, faculty, and students.

The crisis brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic has altered global waste generation dynamics and therefore has necessitated special attention. The unexpected fluctuations in waste composition and quantity also require a dynamic response from policymakers. This study highlights the challenges faced by the solid waste management sector during the pandemic and the underlying opportunities to fill existing loopholes in the system. The study presents specific cases for biomedical waste, plastic waste, and food waste management - all of which have been a major cause of concern during this crisis.