As the world still tries to come to grasps with the Ebola crisis in Africa, it is thought that the greatest risk of contracting the deadly virus in Europe is for healthcare workers. An Irish tech start-up company called Medical eGuides has launched an app which will provide medical staff with critical information on how to effectively and competently treat Ebola-infected patients in accordance with the World Health Organisation’s guidelines.
Having appropriate and effective protocols in place is deemed vital for the curtailment of the virus and this app will provide immediate instructions to medical staff on how recognise Ebola symptoms, how to treat infected (or suspected) patients, how to protect themselves from the virus including details on appropriate protective clothing and equipment and how to dispose of waste material appropriately, amongst other vital information.
Tech heavyweights like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft’s Paul Allen are also assisting in the fight against the spread of Ebola. Zuckerberg and his wife made a donation of $25m to the US Centres for Disease Control and has partnered-up with a number of organisations fighting the virus on the ground. He has also enabled a facility on Facebook for users to donate directly to these organisations. Allen has committed $100m to the #TackleEbola fund.