Emerging Tech

Army Research Shows How Do-It-Yourself Facemasks Can Be as Safe as N95s

Personal protective equipment for hospital workers is running out. This design works as well as the best in class.

Emerging Tech

NASA Engineers Rapidly Create Ventilator Tailored to Treat COVID-19 Patients

The new device is under Food and Drug Administration review for emergency-use authorization.

Emerging Tech

COVID-19 Contact Tracing App Uses Bluetooth 'Garbage'

To work best, the app requires many people to use it, whether they have had COVID-19 or not.

Modernization

VA and DOD Now Default to Sharing Patient Data with Private-Sector Providers

The joint electronic health records management office launched an information exchange program to make it easier to share patient data with thousands of “community partners.”

Modernization

VA to Distribute Thousands of Facebook Portals to Vets and Caregivers in Isolation

The devices will be distributed in pairs to connect qualifying veterans and caregivers during the pandemic.

Modernization

New App Uses QR Codes to Trace Coronavirus Exposure

A free, open-source smartphone app permits contact tracing for potential coronavirus infections while preserving privacy.

Emerging Tech

Medical Consortium Aims to Create Network of Virtual Critical Care Wards

The group seeks to support patients in need of critical care in hospitals and other ad-hoc locations using cloud-based communication technology.

Cybersecurity

Hospital Hackers Seize Upon Coronavirus Pandemic

“We have become easy targets,” a hospital deputy administrator said.

Emerging Tech

NIH, FDA and VA 3D-Printing Collaboration Turns to Ventilator Parts

So far, about a dozen designs for personal protective gear have gotten the OK for clinical use.

Emerging Tech

Pentagon Supercomputers Puzzle Out How to Safely Airlift COVID-19 Patients

The Defense Department turned its supercomputing resources toward solving problems presented by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Digital Government

Congress Hears Options—And Concerns—for Using Smartphone Data to Fight COVID-19

Other countries have been using various forms of location and proximity tracing to slow the spread of the disease, with widely varying levels of privacy protections.

Digital Government

140 Million Tweets Capture COVID-19's Spread

And it’s publicly available as a resource for the global research community.

Emerging Tech

Wi-Fi Peeks into Buildings to Check Social Distancing

Mapping the Wi-Fi strength of mobile devices can reveal how people move and gather.

Digital Government

GSA Creates Buying Guide for COVID-19 Screenings at Federal Buildings

As the government’s buyer and landlord, the General Services Administration created a central contract vehicle for screening services to prevent infected people from entering federal buildings.

Modernization

VA Delays Major IT Programs to Focus on COVID-19

The initial rollout of the new electronic health records system will be pushed out—again—as well as pilots for the new scheduling system. A third, integral effort remains on track.