The whole world is going right now, on a very short notice, through an epic lesson on re-organization of its health services. This lesson relates to the available medical care around the current Corona crisis, and it is a perfect example of functioning under a tremendous pressure and major constraints, with no clear solution in sight.
The treatment is shifting to the community, and patients that under normal circumstances, were supposed to be admitted – are diagnosed and treated at home.
First – response units that arrive at homes, i.e. Red Cross / 911 emergency care teams, are already now at the center of managing the crisis.
The Corona epidemic (and similar outbreaks) will spread – the more these units will be authorized to do at the point of care. At the moment, those units are not equipped with ANY diagnostic tools. At best – the paramedic has a statoscope and a thermometer.
The availability of a mobile lab that can supply a reliable diagnosis in minutes about different infectious conditions – can change the picture dramatically. Starting from a complete blood count that can indicate whether a viral or a bacterial infection are present, and followed by chemistry/ serological tests, or even point of care identification of the pathogen’s genetic material (i.e. PCR and similar methods).
The world is desperately in need of diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Experience teaches us that in times of crisis – systems improve and gear up towards the next crisis…
There is no doubt that a mobile lab kit that is not dependent on connectivity and electricity and can work in any scenario – is a vital tool for the treatment and containment of emergencies such as we are facing now.