The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has taken the world by storm. The number of cases and deaths appears to change by the hour. It has impacted countless individuals and families, disrupted the global economy, and placed a tremendous strain on the healthcare system. In order for not only the country but the world to come out stronger on the other side of this pandemic, it is critical for everyone to band together and lend a helping hand. How people step up during times of crisis is reflective of one’s true character. This is where the growth of virtual medicine is going to play a crucial role.
The Growth of Telehealth
Research and innovation in the field of medicine have provided new diagnostic and treatment options to individuals and families who previously might not have had any. The growth of telehealth and virtual medicine has been one of the results of this drive. Some of the factors that have contributed to the rise of telehealth companies include the growth of artificial intelligence (AI), the spread of predictive analysis, and the power of automated data collection. All of this is contributing to a lower cost of care when telehealth is applied properly. Combine this with the changing attitudes of regulatory agencies and the result is that more hospitals than ever are investing in telehealth and virtual medicine. Now, these innovative companies get to return the favor. They are stepping up when hospitals, physicians, and patients need them the most. Virtual medicine companies are playing a crucial role in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
Apostrophe Steps Up To Provide Hand Sanitizer to Those in Need
There is a tremendous shortage of medical equipment that healthcare providers need to fight this virus. This includes a severe lack of ventilators, gowns, surgical masks, gloves, N95 respirators, and even hand sanitizer. Apostrophe is one of the leading teledermatology skincare startup companies. They have stepped up to address the nationwide shortage of hand sanitizer. Apostrophe has been in close contact with the World Health Organization (WHO). Now, they have come up with a way to produce their proprietary formula.
Apostrophe has made a name in the world of both virtual medicine and dermatology by producing novel compounds that can help patients address a variety of skincare issues. Seamlessly, Apostrophe has shifted all capacity at its compounding pharmacy to develop the hand sanitizer requested by the WHO. Furthermore, they are even selling this product at cost. Their goal is not to turn a profit on this product but instead to donate and revenue from the sale to the WHO’s COVID-19 Response Fund. The goal of this fund is to provide medical equipment and educational materials to healthcare workers so that they can provide for patients and their families as best as possible.
In this fashion, Apostrophe is providing valuable assistance to the WHO and healthcare workers in multiple areas. Keeping hands clean is a critical part of preventing the transmission of this virus. That is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has requested people to touch their face as little as possible. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has put out a request to all compounding pharmacies to provide assistance for the shortage of hand sanitizer. According to the CEO and co-founder of Apostrophe Ben Holber, they are simply answering the call. They see it was their duty to help the healthcare community during this time of crisis. The WHO’s hand sanitizer is already available from Apostrophe.
LetsGetChecked Bridges the Gap in Testing
In addition to equipment shortages in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, there is also a severe shortage of testing in the United States. In order to truly map the scope and scale of this pandemic, it is important to figure out who has the virus and isolate them as quickly as possible. This is where testing comes into play. Let’s Get Checked is helping the country bridge the testing shortfall, as they have recently released a new test for COVID-19.
Patients, with the guidance of healthcare professionals, are going to receive immediate information regarding the presence or absence of an infection. Any positive tests are going to be confirmed by a more complete laboratory test that will provide results around 24 hours later. In this fashion, information regarding coronavirus status is going to be provided to patients more quickly, allowing them to take immediate action to isolate themselves and halt the spread of this deadly virus.
LetsGetChecked is one of the leading companies in virtual healthcare. This company invested millions of dollars to establish a new laboratory that has been CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) certified by the FDA. This means that this lab is in a prime position to not only develop a novel COVID-19 test but also distribute it quickly. Indeed, that is exactly what has happened.
LetsGetChecked is going to send out 250,000 tests for COVID-19 in its first batch and is going to scale up to produce more than 1 million tests over the next several months. These tests are going to prioritize healthcare workers on the front lines as well as patients who are at risk of contracting the virus. Finally, the company is providing its test at-cost in order to improve its accessibility.
Over the past five years, LetsGetChecked has grown to become one of the leading companies in virtual health by innovating the testing process for a variety of illnesses including hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). They believed they were in a perfect position to develop a new test for COVID-19. They have proven that with this test.
COVID-19 Could Be Virtual Care’s Big Moment
During the past few years, the healthcare industry has been looking for ways to remove barriers to healthcare by reducing cost and improving patient access. This led to major investments in virtual health. Now, these investments are paying big dividends, as virtual health companies step up to help healthcare providers, hospitals, and patients during this time of crisis.