5 Ways Companies are Giving Back During COVID-19

SEATTLE, Washington — Across the globe, companies are giving back during COVID-19. Companies have a lot of power to help during the unprecedented times of a global pandemic. The good news is that several companies have been making an impact and standing in solidarity with the world during COVID-19.

5 Ways Companies are Giving Back During COVID-19

1. 1. Making COVID-19 testing easier. Siemens Healthineers, a German medical technology group, reported that it could produce over 50 million antibody tests starting in June 2020. It also stated that it has the capacity to deliver up to 440 tests per hour. Additionally, these tests would be able to get results in as few as 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Yandex, a Russian technology company, has been providing transportation for medical professionals to travel to the homes of those most at risk in order to conduct at-home testing.

   2. Transportation of vaccines. UPS has partnered with Gavi, an organization dedicated to ensuring access to vaccines for those who need it most. Already, Gavi’s partnership has led to an increased rate of distribution to 100,000 vaccines per month. UPS committed an additional $3 million to its partnership with Gavi to ensure vaccines will continue to be widely available. Gavi specifically focuses on the delivery of “life-saving vaccines to children in the world’s poorest countries with the mission of eliminating childhood deaths from avoidable diseases.” While there is not yet a COVID-19 vaccine, providing vaccines for other curable diseases can significantly help. Through the partnership, UPS and Gavi are enabling communities to focus more attention on preventing the spread of COVID-19.

   3. Repurposing production lines. Multiple companies have reprioritized production lines to meet the high demands of personal protection equipment and sanitation tools. H&M, for instance, used its supply chain to produce face masks for hospital workers. Sasol, an oil and chemicals company, has dedicated its efforts toward mass-producing hand sanitizer to do its part to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Similarly, Bacardi has committed to focusing on producing the ethanol needed for hand sanitizer, with an estimated production of 1.7 million 10-ounce bottles at its distillery in Puerto Rico. The hand sanitizer meets the World Health Organization recommendation of 70% alcohol to help contain the spread of COVID-19.

   4. Donating money or goods. Many companies have also made monetary donations or given away products to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Barcardi has committed to donating more than 500,000 of the 10-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer to local communities in Puerto Rico. The company has also given hand sanitizer and disinfectants to USPS workers, firefighters and police and has plans to send them to various nonprofit organizations as well. Unilever, the producer of multiple hygiene and personal care products, has committed to donating roughly $113 million in soap and sanitizer products to the World Economic Forum’s COVID Action Platform. This is in addition to providing other product donations and educational programs on the importance of handwashing to other non-governmental organizations.

   5. Providing internet access. Hewlett-Packard Enterprise has donated $50 million worth of “secure connectivity kits” to hospitals. This donation will provide the needed network connection to operate hospitals efficiently. In Aruba, the company sent 200 volunteer network engineers to build network infrastructure in hospitals combating the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise has been working with various companies to shift to working remotely.

These are only a few examples of how companies are giving back during COVID-19. However, many more companies continue to play a big role in limiting the spread of the virus. With companies and people alike pitching in, the COVID-19 global health pandemic can be successfully overcome.

– Scott Boyce
Photo: Flickr