Ask HN: How can I help with Covid-19? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How can I help with Covid-19?

6 pointsayoubElk11 comments

Hello everyone,

Like many of you, I've been following closely the spread of Covid-19 over the past few weeks.

I can't help but think that, as a software engineer, there might be something I could do to contribute positively to the situation.

However since my knowledge regarding viruses, vaccines development process, containment methods and other relevant subjects is somewhat limited, I'm posting in the hopes that I can gather some ideas from the more experienced people in here regarding this.

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Start Folding at Home? The current issue is that you can't specifically select the Covid-19 work unit until they release a new client. If that's not enough it appears they need help in their software development so that a new client release isn't required for new work units. https://foldingathome.org/2020/02/27/foldinghome-takes-up-th...

The case count, ex China, appears to be doubling every three days. It was at 10K on Mar 1.

Do the math on that (10M on Apr 1, 10B on May 1) and it's entirely possible that this will all pretty much have happened before much can be done technically or scientifically.

I'd love to hear that I'm totally wrong on this.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-cases/...

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22467061

Probably twelve other people will post or have already posted similar questions. Maybe there should be a master thread somewhere or a pinned thread at the top of the front page (or the top of the Ask section) or something.

I've just purchased the domain name coronavirus.rehab Planning to compile useful content and share it with public

What kind of information are you planning to compile?

General information, prevention and travel advisory

Thanks.

I hope you are extremely successful.

It's naive to think that you can just walk in and solve problems directly in a domain you know nothing about; you'd just be in the way. Also, you don't say anything about what level or variety of software skills you have, so it's impossible for anyone to provide specific suggestions since the odds that they'll match your skill set are low.

The best advice I can give is look around at the information streams you have available and where there are gaps in that which you wish you knew more about. Try plugging one of those gaps by connecting together APIs from different services or suchlike, and see if after a day of two of doing so you feel significantly better informed. If that's the case then share it with others here and incorporate their feedback.

Wash your hands. Don't touch your face.

Seriously, this must be the pinnacle of the "I'm a software developer, therefore I can make big contributions to anything, without knowing the first thing about it" illusion that's so rampant on HN.

Usually we see it in the fields of the legal profession and finance, though.

> Wash your hands. Don't touch your face.

I already do this.

> Seriously, this must be the pinnacle of the "I'm a software developer, therefore I can make big contributions to anything, without knowing the first thing about it" illusion that's so rampant on HN.

There is no illusion. I'm not implying that I can make big contributions to anything without knowing the first thing about it.

Since I don't know much about this, I'm asking the more experienced community what they think it is I could help out with, if anything.

Thanks anyway.

Figure out ways to get other people to actually wash hands and actually stop touching their face. This is a widespread problem. Most people are oblivious to how unclean their habits are.

Random ideas:

Promote tech that reduces germ proliferation, such as self checkout, sliding doors and hot air hand dryers.

Create a company to train cashiers to stop touching their damn faces and stop licking their fingers to help open bags.

Create one of those apps for changing your bad habits and make it all about Coronavirus and prevention and getting people to wash hands, stop touching their face, etc.

There is lots you can do. The primary sticking point currently is the lack of sufficient adoption of the best practices listed by every major health organization and repeated ad nauseum online, only to be routinely ignored in actual practice. Adoption of best practices is not a solved problem by any stretch of the imagination.

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