The massive uptick in open source ventilators is very encouraging, but it solves one half of the equation. The other half are the medical professionals who administer these devices and look after the patients. I've read that there are restrictions on the maximum number of patients per technician, but even if we put aside public policy and assume that could be changed, there is an upper bound to what one person can safely handle. Further, these brave technicians are at great risk of developing an infection themselves.
So my question is, is this an industry where we can help improve the situation by developing integrations that allow for remote work of technicians (like a drone pilot). With the massive numbers in unemployment right now, could we train an army of individuals to help AUGMENT the shortage of technicians to administer these devices from home? Obviously they cannot replace the technicians entirely as there are skills and functions that cannot be simply taught in the time we have available, further there are some tasks that cannot be done remotely. However, would this potential group of persons be able to augment the situation greatly enough to take some of the load off of hospital staff and reduce the risks current technicians face?
If this is possible, I hope this question will inspire folks and companies.
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