As we saw last time how COVID -19 has left its marks on everything around the world, social distancing and contact tracing have been the buzzwords of the response to it. A particular problem as lockdown has begun to ease is how to stop the virus from spreading in public spaces. In such situations, the government and people from all over the world have not only adapted to the new normal but have come up with out of the box ideas to make the post-lockdown life easy. This crisis has given birth to a lot of innovations!

Information Exchange In early April, the Indian government launched a COVID-19 tracking app called Aarogya Setu which uses GPS and Bluetooth to inform people when they are at risk of exposure to COVID-19. The app was launched before a similar initiative from tech giants Google and Apple got off the ground. The Kerala state government launched an app called GoK-Kerala Direct using a platform developed by QKopy-a startup. It sends COVID-19 updates and travel information via SMS to older phones for less than half of India’s population without smartphones.

Automatic mask machines To fight the shortage of N-95 masks in India and to eliminate the import of special automatic machines and their parts from China, engineers from NIT & IIM Calicut, and a start-up firm from Bengaluru are now manufacturing these machines. “'The cost is expected to be 40% cheaper too. We are preparing machines to manufacture surgical masks and by June the ones capable of producing N-95 masks too will be ready,” said Varun Anil Kumar, co-founder of Sixth Element Furnishing Solutions Pvt Ltd.

Jeeva Setu ventilators Innovators at REVA University in Bengaluru have invented an oven-sized, low-cost and portable ventilator. The chancellor of REVA University launched ‘Jeeva Setu’ ventilators with the resident staff to aid the medical infrastructure of the country. “It is expected to deliver 500-600 ml of air per breath and 15-18 breaths per minute, as specified for Covid-19 patients,” said Dr. P Shyama Raju, Chancellor of REVA University.

Low-cost PPEs: The Navy’s innovation A doctor in the Indian Navy has developed a low-cost PPE that helped the Indian Navy acquire a patent in association with the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), an enterprise under the Ministry of Science and Technology. It is made of a special fabric with high ‘breathability’, which is suitable for hot and humid conditions prevalent in India. The technology has been validated by ICMR too and is being mass-produced.

Sanitizer Tunnels: A ‘jugaad’ A nodal officer from Chikballapura district set up India’s first organic disinfectant tunnel on the main road of Gowribidanur town. The unique idea that is synonymous with the Indian jugaad was built in just two days using local materials and workforce. The first of its kind tunnel uses an organic fumigant instead of Sodium Hypochlorite, is 20 feet high and was completed with polythene sheets.

Emergency ventilators, germ trap masks, protective plastic capsules, smart helmets, phone booths, sanitizing UVD robots, airport cleaning robots, hands-free door openers are just a few of the many innovations that countries have come up with.

We at Genesis Advertising being a responsible media house have also come up with some online/ digital and offline innovative ideas in our usual marketing activities and strategies. These have helped us to support our clients in these testing times get back on track. For any such Marketing or Advertising requirement give us a call or visit www.genesisads.com and we will try to help and support you to the best of our ability!