Type "Covid-19" into Google and you’ll be met with over 6,260,000,000 results.
Let's say you wanted to know about Covid-19 innovation, specifically. Now we're down to 1,300,000,000 results. And let's say you are interested in Covid-19 innovation news. Well, Google has 1,170,000,000 results for you to sift through.
And while the news of Covid-19 innovation is interesting. How would you like to hear about the stories of the people behind these innovations and the tales of how these breakthroughs even came about?
These stories have probably made the news. Maybe they even held a headline for a couple of days, depending on how amazing the breakthrough was.
And then, the story will have disappeared into the Google Search Engine.
You could attempt a search.
Here’s the thing: shortly after the novel coronavirus was identified, the race to solve the novel coronavirus challenge kicked off around the world.
There is an urgency of finding ways to safely live alongside this new deadly virus.
Every day, headlines blaze with reports of scientists, pharma companies and research labs announcing clinical trials and forward-looking studies for coronavirus vaccines.
Israeli researchers, too, snag world media coverage for their ideas to develop a vaccine for SARS CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Will the FDA okay a vaccine? How long will it take? When can we expect a vaccine?
As a news story, the race to find a vaccine to stop the Covid-19 threat is an exciting one.
So, too, is the tech-fueled sprint for rapid testing solutions. The innovative ideas swirling in this space are jaw-dropping.
Once an idea on how to solve Covid-19 or at least learn to live with it – whether by rapid testing or vaccine or a new PPE solution – hits the headlines, it is usually replaced by another story.
So, where does news about progress go? And who are the people behind these innovations?
Early on in the global shutdown, CNN reported about how an Israeli-American technology could show a 3-D video of what Covid-19 looks like when it attacks a patient's lungs. That was in March. Then what happened?
And what about the amazing defense technologies usually used to keep Israel secure that are now being repurposed for the civilian sector, and especially the health arena, to try and solve the Covid-19 conundrum?
News, as its name suggests, reports noteworthy recent tidbits of information.
What happens if you happen to miss a headline?
For me, writing and giving talks about Covid-19-related innovations is fun and inspiring.
I collect stories of the people behind these innovations and share them in educational talks (over Zoom) to communities around the world. These are stories of people who are intent on being bold, thinking big and coming up with innovative ideas to crack this global Covid-19 crisis.
As a journalist, I get the chance to interview entrepreneurs and problem-solvers and hear their stories. As a speaker, I get to share these awe-inspiring tales and ideas.
There are spit tests and voice tests and breathing tests in development to provide quick real-time testing options.
A recent joint initiative by Israel and India set out to find rapid testing solutions to enable the global economy to get back on its feet.
“The goal is to bring to the world the technological capability to perform rapid Corona tests within tens of seconds, which will enable the opening of airports, office buildings, schools, train stations and more. The Indian support for the project is amazing. All research and development bodies, including the Scientific Adviser to Prime Minister Modi, have joined the operation in full force. We hope that in a few months we will be able to bring good news to the world,” Israel’s Defense Attache to India, Col. Asaf Maller said in a Ministry of Defense press statement.
While we’re waiting for that good news, there’s a growing cache of good news featuring Covid-19-related innovations and stories about the innovators themselves.
If you missed the headlines, I’m always happy to share the back stories behind tomorrow’s innovations.