Razer, a company that has built its name on gaming hardware, will look to contribute to the ongoing battle against the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, by manufacturing surgical masks.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a worldwide shortage of personal protective equipment, including surgical masks that front-liners in the healthcare industry need to prevent themselves from acquiring the disease that they are working so hard to beat.
Razer, according to CEO Min-Liang Tan, will tap into its manufacturing capacities to help fill the supply gap for surgical masks.
While there has been incredible demand for our products during this time with many staying home to avoid the crowds (and to play games), the team at @Razer understands that all of us have a part to play in fighting the virus – no matter which industry we come from.
— Min-Liang Tan (@minliangtan) March 19, 2020
We intend to donate up to 1M masks to the health authorities of different countries globally. For starters, we’ve been in touch with the authorities in Singapore (where the @Razer SEA HQ is based) to donate some of the initial shipments to assist their fight against COVID-19.
— Min-Liang Tan (@minliangtan) March 19, 2020
Tan said on social media that Razer’s offices across the world will reach out to their respective governments and health authorities to coordinate the surgical mask donations. The CEO added that this is just the first step that Razer will take to contribute to the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, though Tan did not reveal what else the company is planning to do.
Razer is just one of many companies that are thinking of ways to further help in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, automakers Tesla, General Motors, and Ford are open to the idea of re-purposing their factories to create ventilators, which are essential medical equipment that help patients in critical conditions with their breathing. As the coronavirus primarily attacks a person’s lungs, securing a steady supply of ventilators is crucial for countries with rising cases of COVID-19, such as the United States.
Google and YouTube, meanwhile, launched Teach from Home and Learn@Home, respectively, to help parents homeschool their kids as schools across the world shut down to prevent the further spread of the new coronavirus. Online learning community Skillshare has also started offering free programs to high school and college students, with classes ranging from creativity to business and technology to lifestyle.
“All of us have a part to play and we should be doing whatever we can with the situation getting more serious. Please keep yourself and your family safe – and do let’s support each other in these trying times,” Tan wrote on social media, adding his voice to the collective global push to work together against COVID-19.
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