Fighting Covid-19: Bengaluru based group leads the way

As coronavirus disease Covid-19 spreads across India and the world, there is no dearth of kindness and good samaritans.

Many such groups have taken upon themselves to help people and the government in fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

One such group is Startups vs Covid-19, a Bengaluru-based group of entrepreneurs and professionals from sectors like healthcare, technology, social sector, and government.

The initiative started with 4-5 people, and now boasts of 600 members.

“We are a group of entrepreneurs and problem solvers, and our mission is to support the government and citizens during this crisis. We wear multiple hats, ranging from being policy advocates; to building a taskforce that the government and citizens can rely on,” said Mekin Maheshwari, ex-Flipkart executive turned social entrepreneur who is the original founder of the group.

Startups vs Covid-19 has adopted muli-pronged strategy to check the spread of the disease, scale up the testing infrastructure, prepare for the next stage (Stage 3) of the outbreak and ensure supplies for healthcare professionals.

To help in checking the spread of coronavirus, the group advocates for lockdown and building applications to reduce contact tracing. It has also pushed for imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC which stops people from assembling in an area.

To scale testing, Startups vs Covid-19 advocates telemedicine, building multi-scale testing and increasing testing infrastructure.

The group has also launched a helpline where patients can consult with doctors without stepping out of the house and risking themselves. The vast pool of experts has enabled the group in building various applications, such as a portal for citizens to report symptoms and a heatmap of the infection based on symptoms reported by doctors.