Israel Active

Professor Noam Sobel of Israel’s Weizmann Institute has built smelltracker.org to help diagnose coronavirus patients. Thousands have registered on the site and report their ability to smell pungent household products.  Losing the sense of smell is a symptom of coronavirus.

Remote device monitoring of ventilators is currently being tested at Laniado Hospital in Netanya. Developed by the Directorate of Armored Combat Vehicles (Tank Assault Program) of the Ministry of Defense, it reduces the need for medical personnel to be in the contaminated area.

Israel’s Technion and Rambam Medical Center in Haifa have developed a face mask for those treating COVID-19 patients. A pump worn near the waist sends cool filtered air into a fan inside the mask, creating an air curtain to protect medical workers from any droplets containing the coronavirus.

Israeli defense electronics firm Elbit Systems has repurposed assembly lines to manufacture thousands of automatic ventilation machines. It expects initially to produce around 300 machines per week, enabling medical centers to provide care to patients suffering from less severe respiratory conditions,

Another “beating swords into plowshares” story. The IDF Shayetet 13 Naval commando unit is using its expertise in diving with oxygen to convert its oxygen tank production line into making medical oxygen compression systems (ventilators) for critically ill coronavirus patients.

Israeli tech nonprofits Start-Up Nation Central and HealthIL, have set up a new website, CoronaTech Israel, to become a one-stop-shop for technological COVID-19 solutions from Israel and abroad. Its analyses, news, developments, challenges, grants etc. aims to initiate projects to combat the crisis.

Israel Aerospace Industries, with help from Israeli medical device maker has converted a missile production facility to mass produce ventilators. And (TY Hazel) the IDF has converted factories making tanks to refit ambulances and another to make protective goggles for medics.

The Head of Israel’s National Emergency Team to tackle the coronavirus pandemic is Brig Gen (reserves) Dr Daniel Gold, the head of Israel’s Defense R&D Directorate. He led the team that developed the Iron Dome defense system. He is the right person to lead this vital team.

Israel’s Hyro has developed an artificially intelligent conversation platform that produces web-based Q&A response programs to take the pressure off healthcare professionals. Hyro has also generated a free triage chatbot where customers of Healthcare organizations can check if they have COVID-19.

Israel’s has developed COVID360 - a “one-stop shop” digital platform for managing the coronavirus disease. The Israel’s Health Ministry and the four Israeli health care providers will roll-out the platform to every citizen to help reduce the spread of the virus.