Covid-19 projects looking for volunteers • Hacker News Board

Re: Covid-19 projects looking for volunteers

#31

Post by bbrree66 » Wed, Mar 18, 2020, 2:24 PM UTC

yiyus wrote: post #5

This is a great initiative, but it looks to me like most of these projects are directed to help the US. That's totally understandable, but there are many people all over the world willing to help with this, and it would be great if we could also collaborate to help everyone. For example, as an engineer, I was interested in helping with the 1M ventilators project, but reading the description it looks like the goal is…

This is a silly comment. The site existing is better than nothing, it's a step in the right direction.

And, projects can be added for any location. Stop complaining and take action.

Re: Covid-19 projects looking for volunteers

#32

Post by scrollaway » Wed, Mar 18, 2020, 2:27 PM UTC

fortran77 wrote: post #10

> Help With COVID is a marketplace for people (especially software engineers) to find projects to contribute to, and for projects to find help. Do you know how "software engineers" can "help with COVID?" By getting into their cars and bringing supplies to elderly people in their neighborhood.

Quit being hostile to people trying to help. It's the lowest of the low you can be during a world-wide crisis.

Re: Covid-19 projects looking for volunteers

#33

Post by omarhaneef » Wed, Mar 18, 2020, 2:28 PM UTC

yiyus wrote: post #23

omarhaneef wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you are right, but it likely reflects the node we sit on in the internet. If this were not hacker news, but some german equivalent in the german language, I am sure you would find a german focused effort. I think it makes sense that most of the efforts would be local (someone has to distribute and man the ventilator). The global effort should be focused on design, and best practices.

Yes! I think it is normal than everyone cares about their own country, and of course in HN people are more worried about the US and the SF area in particular. But I'm also sure there will be other initiatives that could benefit more people and as someone from Europe (we're minority here, but still quite a few!), that's what I'd like to help with.

I think many people -- Americans or otherwise -- are global in their mindset. Its just hard to translate your language and your network and friends and learnings into something that might be relevant everywhere.

Re: Covid-19 projects looking for volunteers

#34

Post by gadders » Wed, Mar 18, 2020, 2:30 PM UTC

There is also: https://coronavirustechhandbook.com/

Re: Covid-19 projects looking for volunteers

#35

Post by tbronchain » Wed, Mar 18, 2020, 2:38 PM UTC

yiyus wrote: post #5

This is a great initiative, but it looks to me like most of these projects are directed to help the US. That's totally understandable, but there are many people all over the world willing to help with this, and it would be great if we could also collaborate to help everyone. For example, as an engineer, I was interested in helping with the 1M ventilators project, but reading the description it looks like the goal is…

I am french and currently stuck in lockdown. I've had similar feelings with these projects being mainly directed to the US (not that it is a bad thing at all, more that I don't find it directly relevant).

As much as I would also love to help the whole world, I have a feeling that I will personally be more efficient working on small projects trying to solve relevant local issues.

I am not sure where to start, but if anyone is in the same situation and/or have some ideas, let's get in touch and try to do something.

Re: Covid-19 projects looking for volunteers

#36

Post by icegreentea2 » Wed, Mar 18, 2020, 2:42 PM UTC

0xfaded wrote: post #22

I have an idea to increase viral RNA test throughput (PCR) by 46.5 times using a binary encoding scheme that I hope someone here might be able to validate/invalidate. Sorry for the thread jack, but I tried posting this yesterday but didn't get picked up. https://wet-robots.ghost.io/how-to-increase-covid-19-testing...

At a quick reading, here are some things that pop out:

1) In your 94 well example, you'd need to dilute each individual sample 1/94. This could cause problems. The lower leveraged scenarios may be more useful due to lower dilution.

2) Similarly, very small scale liquid handling is relatively difficult to do. As you multiplex the number of sources into a well, the volume of each of those sources will decrease, increasing the difficulty and uncertain. Once again, a lower leveraged solution is likely viable.

It's also worth identifying that the bottle neck in testing is moving towards the availability of sample swabs, and reverse-transcription reagent (these happen up stream of PCR). Given those constraints, the emphasis should be on making all other steps in the detection chain as reliable (so simple) as possible to make the best of the bottle necked resources.

That said, it's a very clever idea.

Re: Covid-19 projects looking for volunteers

#37

Post by maxmouchet » Wed, Mar 18, 2020, 2:48 PM UTC

tbronchain wrote: post #35

yiyus wrote: post #5

This is a great initiative, but it looks to me like most of these projects are directed to help the US. That's totally understandable, but there are many people all over the world willing to help with this, and it would be great if we could also collaborate to help everyone. For example, as an engineer, I was interested in helping with the 1M ventilators project, but reading the description it looks like the goal is…

I am french and currently stuck in lockdown. I've had similar feelings with these projects being mainly directed to the US (not that it is a bad thing at all, more that I don't find it directly relevant). As much as I would also love to help the whole world, I have a feeling that I will personally be more efficient working on small projects trying to solve relevant local issues. I am not sure where to start, but if a…

You may want to check https://github.com/opencovid19-fr/comment-contribuer :-)

Re: Covid-19 projects looking for volunteers

#38

Post by _curious_ » Wed, Mar 18, 2020, 2:49 PM UTC

This site, list, and general orientation of 'tech for good' applied towards CV19 is very likeable. Especially so at a time where there is going to be excess brain capacity on the sidelines due to layoffs or those now working from home who have spare time & motive to do something and feeling helpless.

The economic + remote labor shifts definitely open up more resources for side/volunteer stuff for those, like me, wanting to help this cause but not sure how or where to begin.

After reading through and clicking on a few projects of personal interest, my feedback for those listing who seek to increase their chances of success and maximize impact would be:

(a) make the 'how to get in touch' more consistent/accessible. An email contact should be standard. Just give me an email address and i'll give you mine, we'll go from there.

(b) consider thinking bigger and broader in terms of 'looking for'. It takes much more than devs/languages to get something real off the ground, scale it, and actually solve a real world problem. Designers, PMs, marketing, strategy, people with capital and connections... Not that it's fast or easy to find these things, but understanding the scope of what you will actually need to succeed upfront will only expand your funnel and give you options to evolve and grow by tapping into diverse expertise as the product is built.

Re: Covid-19 projects looking for volunteers

#39

Post by yiyus » Wed, Mar 18, 2020, 2:50 PM UTC

bbrree66 wrote: post #31

yiyus wrote: post #5

This is a great initiative, but it looks to me like most of these projects are directed to help the US. That's totally understandable, but there are many people all over the world willing to help with this, and it would be great if we could also collaborate to help everyone. For example, as an engineer, I was interested in helping with the 1M ventilators project, but reading the description it looks like the goal is…

This is a silly comment. The site existing is better than nothing, it's a step in the right direction. And, projects can be added for any location. Stop complaining and take action.

I did not complain. I actually said it is a great initiative, and I even said that maybe I misunderstood.

Of course this site is better than nothing. I think it is great! Nobody is discussing that.

Taking action is exactly what I'm trying to do, but my own country (Spain) is being hit very hard with this, so I think it is understandable that I prefer to focus in some project that can also benefit us.

Re: Covid-19 projects looking for volunteers

#40

Post by hdkrgr » Wed, Mar 18, 2020, 2:56 PM UTC

omarhaneef wrote: post #18

yiyus wrote: post #5

This is a great initiative, but it looks to me like most of these projects are directed to help the US. That's totally understandable, but there are many people all over the world willing to help with this, and it would be great if we could also collaborate to help everyone. For example, as an engineer, I was interested in helping with the 1M ventilators project, but reading the description it looks like the goal is…

I think you are right, but it likely reflects the node we sit on in the internet. If this were not hacker news, but some german equivalent in the german language, I am sure you would find a german focused effort. I think it makes sense that most of the efforts would be local (someone has to distribute and man the ventilator). The global effort should be focused on design, and best practices.

FWIW, the German federal government (of all people), is organizing a distributed hackathon this upcoming weekend: https://wirvsvirushackathon.org/

Seems like it's supposed to be (mostly) in German language as well. If they do and market this right this might actually be an opportunity to get non-tech people to contribute important PROBLEMS that can be solved by tech right now, so we don't just get another few dozen news aggregators and case tracker dashboards.