Pandemics

How the Pandemic is Changing World Healthcare: Dr. Paul Rothman, Johns Hopkins

Hospitals were at maximum capacity for weeks on end due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus. While medical professionals gave their full attention to those suffering from the epidemic, patients with other health concerns were often sent home from hospitals both for their own safety and to increase available space for COVID-19 patients. Those reliant on routine medical care or in need of other emergency care were left looking for ways to access medical professionals while staying safe. Thanks to telehealth, patients were able to get the medical attention they needed from the safety and comfort of their own home. Telehealth gained momentum quickly. In less than two weeks, Dean of School of Medicine and the CEO of Hopkins Medicine, Dr. Paul Rothman, said Johns Hopkins went “from providing a couple dozen telehealth visits a day before the pandemic to about 5,500 [telehealth visits] every day.” Dr. Rothman spoke about the effects of COVID-19 on world healthcare at the OurCrowd Pandemic Innovation Conference last month.  There are clear benefits to telehealth, namely the increased accessibility to the patient...

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Creating Global Access to Medical Innovation: Ruth Atherton, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

15-million cases and 617,000 deaths. To many, the quick spread and drastic transformation of society at the turn of the coronavirus pandemic was a shock. That’s not to say many didn’t see it coming: WHO published a strategic action plan for pandemic influenza in 2007 and in 2014 Bill Gates, representing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, presented a TED Talk about his anticipation of both a pandemic and societal lack of preparation for such an international medical crisis.  The Gates Foundation has been making efforts to help mitigate the current crisis by creating global access to medical innovation. We invited Dr. Ruth Atherton, Deputy General Counsel and Director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to speak at last month’s OurCrowd Pandemic Innovation Conference where she offered insight into what’s been going on and what we can expect.  “The world bank currently estimates that for the first time since 1998, global poverty could actually increase,” said Atherton. “Up to 49-million people may be pushed to extreme poverty, which means living on less than $1.90 a day.” Atherton stated...

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Investing in a Time of Crisis: 3 World-Class Investors Discuss the Coronavirus Recession

The economic disruption caused by COVID-19 is the worst recession the world has seen in nearly a century. At the OurCrowd Pandemic Innovation Conference, Alec Ellison, Chairman of OurCrowd US, sat down with three world-class investors to discuss their perspective on the coronavirus recession, caused by the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The three investors included founder and Chief Investment Officer of Key Square Group Scott Bessent; managing director at Insight Partners, Deven Parekh; and partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, Jeremy Levine.

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What Comes Next? OurCrowd Team Shares Top 10 Pandemic Tech Trends

For the past number of months, our global community has been focused on combating COVID-19. During this time of uncertainty, entrepreneurs have adapted to pandemic-focused innovation. To highlight the incredible efforts of those working to help society acclimate to our new environment and improve the current state of the pandemic, OurCrowd hosted its Pandemic Innovation Conference on June 22nd. The world is different now, and every new era comes with its own set of trends. In the segment “Top 10 Pandemic Tech Trends” Labs/02 Partner Stav Erez and OurCrowd Medical Advisory Board Member Dr. Jonathan Wiesen discussed the top 10 tech trends affecting society in light of the pandemic. Say Goodbye To Your Office: The Virtual Becomes Real The future of work and remote technologies is one of the first things that comes to mind following the COVID-19 pandemic. With the distancing protocols, people have turned to remote communication platforms, but that’s just part of the virtual revolution. We’ve also seen an uptick in use of products providing digital solutions, such as TechSee, a startup that helps engineers manage...

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The coronavirus challenge: Here’s why OurCrowd is launching a $100 million Pandemic Innovation Fund

The new fund will target solutions for COVID-19 and future pandemics, remote working/learning, and social distancing Today, OurCrowd announces the launch of its Pandemic Innovation Fund. We plan to raise $100 million for investment in urgent technological solutions for the medical, business, educational and social needs triggered by global pandemics and other health emergencies. The rapid spread of the coronavirus has validated our vision of a connected digital world poised to solve any crisis through global communication and rapid response. This worldwide crisis presents the greatest challenge yet faced by digital technology. The pandemic has accelerated the pace of technology adoption across many domains. “We saw two years of digital transformation in two months,” said Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella. This new struggle against an invisible threat will result in the creation of new areas of business activity. Some that exist already will expand dramatically: digital medicine; artificial intelligence-powered diagnostics; remote social and business networking; online freight and logistics; one-click cybersecurity and payment systems for small businesses; 3-D printing for vital medical equipment; training for distance learning – just to...

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