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COVID-19: International Response - what has worked?

Former Community Member
Former Community Member
In addition to collating ideas on the UK's engineering and technological response to COVID-19 we are keen to learn from the rest of the world's experiences in this fight so far.

As an organisation with members across the globe we are perfectly placed to tap into your knowledge and insights to guide our Governments actions so this is a call for you to share your experiences and case studies of the engineering and technological interventions that have been tired globally

 
  • What do you think has worked elsewhere?

  • What has been tried and made an impact?

  • What is being trialed currently in your country?

Additionally, if you would like to volunteer your expertise to the Government's response to COVID-19 please email SEP@theiet.org
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    What works, what not works,...it's not about engineering advice...it's medical advice to fight for the COVID-19... 

    Wash hands, wear a mask, social distance, home office (our government takes the initiative to home office), entertainment facilities to close, limit operating hours of restaurants,...

    Response from Hong Kong...
  • Here is an interesting idea from Milan, Italy.

    http://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/carlo-ratti-and-jacobs-team-design-shipping-contai/

    Images courtesy of CURA


     

     




  • CORONA Virus panic

    Look at this website. https://lnkd.in/euN_stt       If this info is correct then we must stop the panic immediately. Under 1 in a thousand deaths is insignificant in global terms BUT to wreck world economies is ruinous and will cause millions of destitute, homeless and poor people to die of starvation but not the virus. #economy #climatechange#global #tradewar #cargo #shipments #coronaviruspanic .  Let God decide who will live and who will die, thats my opinion.

  • CliveS:

    CORONA Virus panic

    Look at this website. https://lnkd.in/euN_stt       If this info is correct then we must stop the panic immediately. Under 1 in a thousand deaths is insignificant in global terms BUT to wreck world economies is ruinous and will cause millions of destitute, homeless and poor people to die of starvation but not the virus. #economy #climatechange#global #tradewar #cargo #shipments #coronaviruspanic .  Let God decide who will live and who will die, thats my opinion.



    If you care about money, and not about people, then I suppose around 7.8 million people dying isn't really important in the grand scale of things. 


    But that assumes the figure of 1 in 1000 is correct.  Without proper medical treatment, it's likely to be more like 1 in 100, so that would be 78 million dead.  But I suppose those people still aren't important if all that bothers you is keeping the economy going.
     

  • As Charles Darwin said, it is not the strongest or most intelligent that will survive, but those most able to adapt to change. Or in this serious case those most able to naturally survive.


    Z.
  • Look at the stats from website    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/      look at top of big spreadsheet at red figures of deaths due to virus  column.  At the top of the sheet look for the boxes marked "today" and "yesterday"  and compare them.  IF todays figure is less than yesterday then the NHS has survived the worst of virus and we are over the main peak so panic is over and we can immediately start to get the economy back to working normally.

    Average  life span is 73 years or 26,645 days and thus out of a million 37 people die every day mostly after a short stay in hospital.  So NHS can easily cope but will need to prioritize the use of ventilator to the younger people then the over 70's will want to self isolate to protect themselves and the rest of the economy can return to work but work from home or maintaining social distancing where possible. 

    However, to avoid foreigners bringing in extra virus, a strict procedure of border health checks should be introduced where suspected ill people are immediately sent to isolation first aid paramedic area but normal passengers are issued with 2 masks dated, pair of gloves and 2 small flannelette sanitized wipes for which they sign agreeing to self isolate for 14 days and are instructed to always wear the mask and wipe any handle, seat, safety rail  they touch outside their home isolate area, and to travel immediately via bus, coach, train, taxi or private car agreed by the border official.
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    I do believe thermal imaging in conjunction with AI has found great applications in this period. Automated temperature screening methods have not only reduced pressure on the few medical proffessionals available , but speeds up the process and eliminates human error.
  • Prof. Sarah Gilbert at Oxford England has apparently developed a working vaccine that may be available by September 2020. It is being tested now. Production facilities will be ramped up prior to approval to ensure that production facilities can cope with large scale production to reduce delays. Please see my previous post about Prof. Sarah Gilbert.


    Z.
  • Social distancing is necessary to limit the infection rate, but in urban areas people are finding there is not enough space to pass one another at a safe distance.


    This, combined with essential workers trying to get to work without using public transport (a possible infection risk), quieter roads under lockdown, and the prospect of gridlock if we emerge from lockdown without safe alternatives to public transport other than private cars, provides an argument for providing more space for people to walk, exercise, and cycle to work in urban areas.


    Temporary infrastructure is being constructed in New Zealand, Paris, Berlin, Budapest, and New York (from only a quick search online - there are probably more), and such measures bring additional benefits, to: help people get fit (building an ability to fight the virus if someone catches it); limit the spread of infection (travelling in the open air with the ability to keep apart from others); if lanes are wide enough they can give emergency services a route through gridlocked traffic (its easier for people walking running and cycling to move to one side than it is for motor vehicles), and in the long term to allow us to achieve carbon targets and health ambitions.


    The engineering community could help facilitate in building this form of resilience into urban areas by reallocating road space and help make some good of a dire global situation.
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    HI All,


    I've just started a new thread on how engineering and technology can support the re-opening of schools and if there are lessons we can learn from other countries that are ahead of us in this process - I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts - https://communities.theiet.org/discussions/viewtopic/1180/26215


    Many thanks,


    Kate-Zillah Sharpe

    Devolved Nations Lead