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The Morning Download: 3-D Printing Steps Up in Coronavirus Crisis
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Good morning, CIOs. With crucial medical gear in short supply, health workers and a network of 3-D printing providers are creating and sharing digital files which can be printed into potentially lifesaving equipment. CIO Journal's Sara Castellanos and Agam Shah have more.
Printing Covid-19 testing swabs. Doctors from Northwell Health and the University of South Florida worked together to design and manufacture nasal swabs using 3-D printers from Somerville, Mass.-based Formlabs Inc. The 3-D printing technique “gives us hope that we can tackle this thing head-on," Todd Goldstein, director of 3-D design and innovation at Manhattan-based Northwell, tells CIO Journal.
Face masks. St. Luke’s University Health Network is getting face masks from Filament Innovations, a 3-D printing company in Bethlehem, Pa. The original design came from a website where people can share digital designs. "Our network community, whether it's a college kid that had to come home and has a 3-D printer, has asked us how they could offer help," said Megan Augustine, director of the network simulation center at St. Luke’s.
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General view of tents of an emergency field hospital set by Samaritan's Purse staff in New York City's Central Park, March 31, 2020.
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NYC CIO crowdsources coronavirus pandemic
New York City is using crowdsourcing to track the spread of coronavirus. The city recently launched a website to collect information from those New Yorkers experiencing symptoms related to Covid-19.
“We don't know who's sitting at home getting over their symptoms if they don't report it. If this works, it will show the true impact of the virus,” said Jessica Tisch, the CIO of New York City, who helped lead the effort by working with different departments on the portal.
New York City had over 43,000 confirmed cases as of Tuesday, according to state numbers. State officials say the outbreak is not expected to peak for another 14 to 21 days.
It’s hoped that the crowdsourced data will provide the city a better understanding of the scale of the outbreak as well as the communities most affected. That will help the city communicate in more targeted ways with those affected by the virus, Ms. Tisch said.
The portal, which was greenlighted about a month ago and launched last week, asks users if they have symptoms, tested positive, are in quarantine, or came in contact with someone who has tested positive.
“This application has evolved the same way that the realities on the ground of the virus have evolved,” Ms. Tisch said.
Early on, the city mobilized “disease detectives,” including public-health nurses, doctors and epidemiologists, to track down and interview patients to trove of data. “But then we very quickly moved into community spread. It got so large that we were no longer able to trace the virus by individual contacts,” Ms. Tisch said.
Ms. Tisch was appointed the city’s CIO in December from the New York Police Department to oversee the city’s information technology and telecommunications services.
—Agam Shah
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969,000
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The potential number of AI jobs globally by the end of 2020, according to technology research firm International Data Corp.
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Xerox had argued that a combination could yield annual cost savings of more than $2 billion that would help them weather an overall industry decline. PHOTO: MICHAEL NAGLE/BLOOMBERG NEWS
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Xerox to end hostile takeover bid for HP. Xerox has concluded it is no longer prudent to pursue the deal given the public health crisis and resulting market swoon, people familiar with the matter tell The Wall Street Journal's Cara Lombardo.
Three is not a magic number for Marriott. The hotel chain is investigating a data breach that exposed up to 5.2 million customers’ personal information, WSJ Pro Cybersecurity's David Uberti reports. The breach is at least its third in the past 18 months.
Huawei warns U.S. of retaliation by Beijing. Eric Xu, chairman of Huawei Technologies, said he believes Beijing would respond with restrictions of its own on American companies operating in China if the U.S. follows through with reported plans to cut off Huawei’s access to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, the world’s largest contract-chip manufacturer. (WSJ)
Remote-learning heroes. Children and teachers are innovating their way through what could be the greatest disruption in U.S. education history. The Wall Street Journal's Leslie Brody and Lee Hawkins profile the work, tears and tech support going into educating New York City's public-school students, about 820,000 of whom live in poverty.
NYC investigates Amazon over firing. New York City’s human-rights watchdog is investigating Amazon over allegations an employee at a Staten Island warehouse was fired for helping to organize a walkout over work conditions in the midst of the new coronavirus pandemic. (WSJ)
Now on Zoom: NY's attorney general. New York Attorney General Letitia James has sent a letter to Zoom Video Communications asking about its security practices. The app has gained widespread popularity in recent weeks, attracting the attention both of remote workers as well as trolls who have exploited an app feature to hijack video meetings. (New York Times)
Not on Zoom: Your job. A number of companies, including mobility startup Bird, have used the app recently to lay off staff. (BBC)
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Everything Else You Need to Know
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U.S. officials projected the country. could face 100,000 to 240,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic. (WSJ)
U.S. stock futures pointed to declines in New York a day after major equity gauges ended their worst quarter since 2008. (WSJ)
Chinese factory activity expanded in March, following sharp contractions in January and February, but sluggish demand, dampened hopes for a speedy recovery. (WSJ)
Dr. Anthony Fauci has forged an unusual, and at times seemingly precarious, relationship with the president in seeking to address the pandemic, including voicing disagreement with the White House. (WSJ)
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